


Tales From Hyrule Castle Town

by JellyFilledDonuts



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, Loss of Virginity, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Overprotective Parents, Slow Burn, but mostly malink, some brief zelink - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2020-05-01 16:43:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 100,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19181797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JellyFilledDonuts/pseuds/JellyFilledDonuts
Summary: In a Hyrule where magic exists alongside advanced technology, Link has grown up an orphan. Taken in by the community of Kokiri living near the forest, he spends the next years of his life with few friends and a fear of social interaction, a fear exacerbated in sophomore year of high school when his now ex-girlfriend cheats on him with football captain Ganondorf Dragmire. Over a year later, Link, just beginning to socialize more, takes a job at a ranch owned by his friend Malon's father. Alongside his fairy Navi, Link must face the struggles of being a bully's number one target, as well as his ever growing affection for Malon, which he must hide from Malon's overprotective father, since he refuses to let her date.





	1. The Boy Without a Family

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's not everyday that I sit down by my laptop and write a story. Actually, it's never, since this is my first fic and all. So with nothing better to do in my life, I might as well try to make it a half-decent one. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link Forrester just can't seem to catch a break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins...

“Eleven years already, huh?”

 

“Yeah. I remember her quite well, but it’s been over half my life since I lost her.”

 

“You’re gonna have to put the remembering on hold, Link. Put down your phone and get a move on. You’ve got ranch work today.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, just a minute, Navi.”

 

“Every minute you waste is rupees out of your paycheck.”

 

“Since when did you become so money-obsessed?”

 

“I’m surprised you’re not. Most teens around Castle Town are, and they don’t even have jobs.”

 

“I’m not most teens.”

 

…

 

To say the Goddesses had it out for Link Forrester was an understatement.

 

Link wasn’t even born when his father was killed. Link’s father, a police officer, responded with several other units to reports of drugs in the Eldin district of Hyrule Castle Town. However, the Gerudo drug smugglers leading the operation rigged the warehouse they were reported to be in to explode, and had long since fled the city. Every officer died in the explosion. Tensions between Hylians and Gerudo were never fully resolved afterwards, despite the current attempts of Mayor Daphnes Nohansen to try and solve issues between the two races.

 

Link’s mother died on the 27th of June, a week after Link finished kindergarten. She’d been battling leukemia for the past year, and finally lost. Link, who was now six years old, had his future left to fate. He had no other living relatives- not since his uncle died in a car accident two years prior.

 

Social services sent him to the Ordona Orphanage. It was an establishment in the Ordona district of Castle Town, which was also where Link’s house was located. Link had no friends, since he’d only finished kindergarten, and most of his classmates were uninterested in being friends. This didn't stop him from trying, and on his first day in the orphanage, he went up to a boy and asked to be friends.

 

The boy responded by having his own friends lock Link in the nearby closet.

 

“Let me out, you jerk!” Link yelled.

 

The boy laughed. “And what will you do if I don’t? Cry to your mommy?” he sneered. His friends laughed as if they’d just been told the funniest joke in the world.

 

They kicked the closet door, as if to taunt Link.

 

“Don’t worry, the key’s nearby if anyone here cares enough to let you go. Of course, nobody will. Nobody cares about how you feel.”

 

Link was released from the closet when the director of the orphanage sent everyone to bed and found him missing.

 

“Now what in the absolute hell are you doing here hiding in a closet?!”

 

“I didn’t do it on purpose! This one kid, he-”

 

“Now, now, no shifting the blame. That’s not something you ~~~~can do as an adult.”

 

Unfortunately, similar results occurred whenever Link was bullied. The director just didn’t seem to care.

  
_Moron_ . _Loser_ . _Good-for-nothing_. Link would hear these and many more things over the next four years he lived at the orphanage. The three kids made sure to bully him at any time of day. But that first time stuck in his mind. As much as he didn’t want to say so, he knew that they raised a valid point. There were just some people in the world who didn’t care how he felt.

 

Link was tormented in a variety of ways. Kids would steal his dinner (which always tasted horrible due to the orphanage’s poor quality, but was still his food nonetheless), lock him in his room whenever the kids were being taken to the playground, and even spit at him. They gave him just about every kind of insult in a grade-schooler’s vocabulary. And Link had to endure it all, since nobody wanted to be his friend and the director was complacent in the bullying.

 

Almost four years after Link first arrived, a month after Link’s fourth grade year ended, something happened that scared Link more than ever.

 

“Well, kiddo, pack your bags,” the director stated almost casually.

 

“Do I have to?”

 

“Listen, this lot’s being bulldozed in an hour. You wanna get stuck here when that happens?”

 

“Where are you going to send me?”

 

“The social workers and I have talked it over. You’re heading to Kokiri Circle.”

 

Most of the other kids had been sent to the orphanage in Lanayru when word was that the Ordona Orphanage was set to close down. But in a stroke of poor luck, there wasn’t enough space to take Link. Not that it was really poor luck. The Kokiri Circle was a better home, and when space opened up at the Lanayru Orphanage, Link had grown so fond of his life with the Kokiri he refused to leave.

 

Watching over the Kokiri was the Great Deku Tree, who was the effective father and guardian of them all. Every Kokiri in Hyrule lived in one of the many wooden cabins surrounding the tree. The Great Deku Tree could not leave its position in front of the Faron Woods, but it was a trusted authority figure. When children did not have homes, the Kokiri adopted them as one of their own, though no non-Kokiri currently lived with them.

 

“And, see, the fact of the matter is that we trust you enough to be able to provide for this child,” one of the workers explained.

 

“Of course. I shall raise him as one of my own,” the Great Deku Tree boomed.

 

A Kokiri named Saria was easily the most friendly of the Kokiri Link had met. The only one who didn’t have to be persuaded by the Deku Tree to let Link live with them, she tried to befriend Link day one.

 

As a symbol of friendship, Saria gave Link a fairy. Since the Great Deku Tree couldn’t move, he gave the Kokiri each a fairy to supervise them when they went into town. It was Saria’s way of accepting him as a Kokiri.

 

Fairies were commonplace around Hyrule. However, save for the small community in Faron, most lived within their own communities- accessible to the public but never quite integrated with them. Despite their seclusion, fairies’ powers of magic and healing were widely utilised. Hospitals typically used fairy dust as well as special potions to heal the body, though a fairy who used too much of their magic would die as a result of overexertion.

 

The fairy who Saria gave to Link was named Navi. A blue fairy, up close she was rather beautiful. Much like Kokiri, fairies had different aging habits from Hylians. A year in Hylian years was one decade in fairy years. Navi had lived for over 6 Hylian years by the time she met Link, though in fairy years she was roughly 60. This was far from old, however- in terms of the life of a fairy, Navi could be considered roughly teenage. Fairies never really aged past the appearance of a Hylian in their late teens to early twenties.

 

Navi was assigned a simple task: watch over Link and guide him into adulthood.

 

“Well, how d'ya do, Link?” Navi greeted Link upon first being introduced to him.

 

“Could be better.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve been told about your life and all. Don’t worry. I’ll watch over you from now on.”

 

For the next years of Link’s life, Navi would be his best friend.

 

…

 

“Hey, wake up!”

 

Link hobbled out of bed and quickly threw on whatever clothes were nearby. He grabbed his backpack, full of things for school, and dashed out of the hut. Saria and a few other Kokiri were waiting at the bus stop.

 

“Well, we oughta get you an alarm clock, Link. If it weren’t for Navi warning you- at least, I assume she did- you’d have missed the bus,” Saria commented.

 

“I don’t need one.”

 

Navi scoffed. “You wouldn’t last a day without me, Link.”

 

Link giggled.

 

Navi would prove to be right, but when the circumstances of how she was right were made clear to her, she wished she weren’t.

 

“Miss her?” Navi asked when she saw Link staring gloomily at a picture of his mother.

 

“Yeah. I mean, it’s been four years, but…”

 

“That’s okay. Take all the time you need to recover.”

 

“Y’know, you’re the only one who’s cared about me in years.”

 

“Oh come on, Link, you’re being a bit dramatic.”

 

“Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. But for four years, I’ve been bullied with nobody doing anything to stop it. You’re the only one to actually take time out of your day to look out for me.”

 

“What about Saria? She’s your friend, too.”

 

“…One of only two to take the time to check over me.”

 

“Great Deku Tree? He didn’t _have_ to adopt you, but he did.”

 

“…One of three.”

 

“The other Kokiri?”

 

“Well, not them, really. Fado’s kinda creepy. She always gives me looks that I think she means to scare me with. Those brothers, the Know-It-Alls, they act like they’re so great because they’re smart or something. And don’t get me started on Mido.”

 

Mido was Saria’s best friend prior to Link joining the community. Ever since then, Saria’s time was divided between hanging out with Mido and helping take care of Link. And this lack of attention towards him led Mido to hate Link. But Link didn’t know his reasoning was something as petty as this.

 

Link & Saria were in the same fifth grade class. They did everything together, from eating to schoolwork. Some of the other students teased the two, joking that they were going to be married. Link dismissed them. Saria did too, but secretly she did have a crush on Link. She’d have one throughout her time in school, even as Link would grow older and she would remain the same age.

 

She knew it would be impossible to start a family with him, in part due to her lack of physical aging past ten, as well as reproduction- Kokiri did not reproduce the same way as Hylians did; they were born from the Great Deku Tree, every single one of them, with new seeds sprouting every ten years. None of them ever reproduced on their own.

 

Kokiri traditionally remained single, and though Saria knew this, she still had hopes.

 

But that’s getting a bit off-topic, now. Back to fifth grade.

 

Link loved science, though almost even more than that was his interest in the Hyrulean Civil War that took place some 1000 years ago. He absolutely despised math, however, and were it not for Saria and Navi (who also accompanied Link to school, though she had no need to learn anything herself) tutoring him, he wouldn’t have passed.

 

He hoped sixth grade math was easier, though everyone, including him, knew it wouldn’t be.

 

“I can’t believe they didn’t let me wear my hat,” Link bemoaned as he looked in the yearbook. Saria had given him one of the Kokiri’s traditional hats early into his stay with them, and while he was allowed to wear it to school, as were the other Kokiri, he was told not to wear it on picture day.

 

“Relax. At least you’ve been told you don’t need braces,” Navi told him.

 

If there was one thing Link was proud to have inherited from his father, it was his perfect teeth. Link’s mother mentioned them once. And when Navi supervised Link on his trip to the orthodontist, the orthodontist proudly said that Link didn’t need braces. Fuel to the fire for Mido’s hatred of Link, since Mido on the other hand did, and would get them at the beginning of sixth grade.

 

As sixth grade began, Link found himself in the dust when it came to relationships. Now, dating was the cool thing to do, when a year ago someone would be mocked for having a crush. The years at the orphanage indeed did not do any wonders for Link’s social skills. If anything, they were made worse.

 

The few friends Link had were all due to them approaching him, not the other way around. Navi, Saria… it was a terrifying prospect to approach someone and try to be friends, since the last attempt he made ended with him being locked in a closet. Now he had a constant fear of rejection, one that followed him throughout his life.

 

At lunch, he sat with Saria, alone aside from her and Navi. The cafeteria was large, and there was plenty of space, yet students seemed to be territorial, as when Saria asked to sit nearby they grew defensive. Link & Saria were lucky to find a seat on the outskirts of the room.

 

Then, about ten minutes later, it appeared as if someone else was having similar problems.

 

A girl with bright red hair and a white dress was wandering through the cafeteria. She’d been rejected by just about every clique of girls she could find, and she didn’t want anything to do with the boys, since she thought they were rude and snobby.

 

Link and Saria both thought the same thing. Saria acted first.

 

“Hey, you can sit here if you want.”

 

The girl hesitated, clearly unsure.

 

“Oh, alright. I don’t see why not, since I can’t find anywhere else.” She took a seat next to Link. “Name’s Malon. My father runs a ranch nearby.”

 

“I’m Saria, and this here’s my friend Link.”

 

Link waved his hand.

 

“You’ve got a cool hat,” Malon told Link.

 

“It’s a hat that the Kokiri wear,” Link clarified.

 

“You don’t look Kokiri,” Malon admitted.

 

“I’m not, I’m a Hylian. But I was orphaned years ago, and the Kokiri decided to adopt me.”

 

“Oh… I take it Saria’s a Kokiri?”

 

“Yep,” Saria said proudly. “Oh, Link! We should introduce Navi!”

 

“I think she’s asleep.”

 

“Who’s Navi?” Malon asked.

 

“A fairy. The Kokiri’s parent, the Great Deku Tree, can’t leave his spot. So he gives each of the Kokiri fairies to supervise them. I may not be a Kokiri, but I’ve got one too.”

 

Malon and Link began to hit it off that day. Saria did not end up connecting with Malon that well, but she was happy that Link could. She was happy to see him make new friends.

 

“Hey, why don’t you come over after school?” Malon offered to Link when the bell rang. “To my place, I mean.”

 

“Alright,” Link accepted.

 

…

 

The Lon Lon Ranch was a decent-sized place, roughly 400 acres, divided in half between cows and horses. For contrast, Castle Town itself was roughly 16,000 acres. Noticeable to just about anyone, it delivered meat and milk to the market, and Lon Lon Milk was in high demand from storeowners.

 

Finishing his homework, Link ran out of the cabin. With Navi’s instructions, Link made his way to the ranch by 4:30.

 

Mustering the courage to knock on the door, Link was greeted by two people. The first was Malon. The second was a large, mustached man in overalls. Malon’s father.

 

“Oh, hey Malon!” Link smiled.

 

“Hiya!”

 

“I take it yer Link?” Malon’s father asked.

 

“I am, Mr…?”

 

“Talon. At least, that’s my first name.”

 

“Oh. Okay, Mr. Talon.”

 

“Well, come on in. We don’t got all day fer goofin’ off, or have ye changed yer mind ‘bout visitin’?”

 

“No, I haven’t.”

 

And with that, Link followed the pair indoors.

 

…

 

The Lon Lon Ranch served several purposes. A house on the land was the home of Malon and Talon. There were smaller log cabins on the ranch as well, each home to one of the ranch’s employees. The land was used to raise cattle and horses, and a small enclosure housed cuccos. In addition, there were several entertainment centers set up for visitors, since the ranch was a popular site for field trips. These secondary businesses helped generate more income for the ranch.

 

There was a racetrack where dogs used to help horses herd the cattle would engage in physical exercise, run by Mamamu Yan, a friend of Malon’s late mother. Visitors could watch the dogs race and root for their favorite.

 

Horse rides were also popular. Horses were kept on the ranch to herd the cows, and they became just as synonymous with the Lon Lon Ranch as the cows. Malon’s favorite horse was Epona, easily the fastest and most able horse on the ranch. The horse rides were watched over by Ingo, Talon’s childhood friend and a former circus performer. Ingo had two brothers in Ordona who owned their own ranch, and the brothers felt betrayed that Ingo would leave their ranch to help on Talon’s. Ingo felt obligated to do so, however, for reasons he didn’t disclose to anybody.

 

Ingo also worked in the fields, sending the horses out to the corral every day and leading them back to their stables at night. Talon originally herded the cows, but let Malon do so when she got older.

 

Cuccos were kept in a small pen near the horse stables. Watching over them was a quiet man named Grog, who mostly kept to himself and the cuccos. Cuccos were infamous for their short tempers, and Grog seemed to be the only person on the ranch who could handle them.

 

Link would visit once every week or so, and he took a liking to everyone there- except Ingo, who he and Malon frequently pranked. Ingo was constantly crabby, and also drank a lot. Talon wisely decided to stop Ingo’s duties as the overseer for horse rides once his drinking became more heavy, taking the role himself. For all his faults, Talon at least knew better than to let a drunkard around kids.

 

Things only got worse for Ingo, who eventually began to bring back women. These women would stay overnight, and were kept around to please Ingo. Sex, massages, the works. Link had trouble sleeping on many a sleepover due to this, and the fact that Ingo seemed to pay each of the women in the morning gave the implication that he was just hiring a bunch of prostitutes.

 

Soon, a whole year passed. Now 12, Link and Malon were moving on to seventh grade.

 

The Lon Lon Ranch became a second home to Link. If he wasn’t in the Kokiri Circle, he was often at the ranch.

 

Unbeknownst to Link, Malon had developed more… fond… feelings for him in that year.

 

After the first day of seventh grade, Malon wrote in her diary.

 

_September 6, 4043_

 

_Dear Diary,_

 

_I remember a time when living on a ranch was cool to other people. Everyone wanted to be my friend in elementary school._

 

_But now, even the closest people have grown distant. I haven’t heard from Anju in years. I hear she’s got a crush on that kid, Kafei. I won’t lie, I once did too. But not anymore._

 

_Link…_

 

_I’ve taken to calling him Fairy Boy over the past year, since he always has that fairy Navi with him. He’s the first in years to want to be friends with me._

 

_I… I think I’ve got a crush on Fairy Boy, to be honest. He’s attractive, he’s smart… did you know he wants to be a veterinarian? He’d be perfect on the ranch._

 

_And with me… But maybe I’m just crazy._

 

_I hope he likes me back…_

 

For high school, Link and Malon went to Hyrule Academy. HA was the top school in Hyrule, and one of five high schools in Castle Town. Talon saved up all his life to send Malon there, and the Kokiri (& by extension, anyone who lived with the Kokiri- in this case Link) went there by default.

 

Sophomore year of high school marked a significant point in Link’s life. He managed to get a girlfriend- an attractive Gerudo lady, who went to HA as well. Malon was jealous, but she cheered on Link.

 

There was little display of affection between the two, in any shape or form- dates were few and far between, and sexual contact was nonexistent. A few days after Valentine’s Day, Link found out why.

 

"Hey, I'm here!" Link called out. "And I brought the movie over, too!"

 

"Link, why do I hear moaning?" Navi asked nervously.

 

"Hey, did you hear me? I said-"

 

It was forever Link's regret to open the bedroom door. He should've realized ahead of time something wasn't right, and now his heart was in two.

 

Ganondorf Dragmire. The star football player. Professional asshole.

 

_Of all the people for my girlfriend to cheat on me with, it was that bastard_ , Link thought bitterly when recounting that day. _Of all the people she had to cheat on me with, it was HIM_!

 

Ever since that day, Ganondorf went out of his way to bully Link. Frequent mentions of Link’s now-ex were common. Link grew ever more depressed, and refused to try and date anyone else since. Saria and Navi would spend hours on end trying to convince Link to leave his house on the weekends, but the boy was too closed off to care. He didn’t want outside contact unless forced to.

 

Malon often called him during this time, hoping to make sure he was okay.

 

“C’mon, you gotta _try_! I think that girl whose father runs the bowling alley really likes you!” Navi told him prior to junior year homecoming. “She even flirts with you!”

 

“She flirts with _everyone_ , though,” Link retorted.

 

“So be the first to take her up on her offer!”

 

“Are you insane?”

 

“Are you? You can’t just hide away forever! We’re all worried for you- Malon, Saria, me… please, just try to make an effort to improve your life and move on!”

 

Though Link didn’t get back into the dating game, that was a real wake-up call for him. As junior year began to wrap up, Link began to finally come out of his depressed funk.

 

And the end of Link’s junior year is where our story truly begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, with Link's life and all out of the way, let's get into the meat of this story! Most of it's gonna be around Link's senior year, meaning... I'm not sure what that means yet.
> 
> Let's find out, shall we?


	2. An Offer You Can't Refuse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After another of her attempts at dating someone new is ruined by her father, Malon decides to go back to someone old, taking advantage of a job opening at the ranch to try and get Link closer to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whereas the last chapter focused on Link, this one focuses more on Malon. She'll probably be as important to this story as Link.

The bell rang loudly as students flooded the front steps of Hyrule Academy. Seniors celebrated not having to return to the place, save for the graduation ceremony the next day. Freshmen resigned themselves to three more years of this place. Sophomores and juniors were just happy to see the sun.

 

“One more year of this place,” Malon told herself, “and then I can go do whatever I want with my life.”

 

Living on a ranch, there wasn’t much in the way of entertainment. Malon would always go with Link to the arcade or to see a movie, but the Lon family didn’t have any video games of their own, nor a computer. They had cable TV, and that was it.

 

Malon’s father loved to go off hunting- in fact, one such excursion in the Eldin wilderness was how he met Malon’s mother. A buck’s head was mounted above his fireplace, and Link couldn’t help but stare in awe the first time he saw it on a visit. Talon was an enthusiast about guns, and once tried to get Malon to take aim at a boar. Malon couldn’t bring herself to, and she swore off guns. She was the polar opposite of her father in nearly every way, and only their similar names gave any indication of the two being related.

 

“Hey!”

 

Malon ignored the noise. They were probably calling out to someone else.

 

“Hey! Redhead!”

 

Now Malon turned around. A boy, also with red hair, called out to her. Malon recognized this boy. His father was a wealthy man who raised Skulltulas.

 

“Malon, right?”

 

“Um, yeah…”

 

“I was wondering if you’d like to go see a movie with me. I hear _The Mask of Majora_ is pretty good!”

 

“Well… I don’t see why not. Tonight, around 6?”

 

“Sure! Wonderful!”

 

The boy ran away, celebrating. But Malon knew she wouldn’t be going on that date, no matter how much she wanted to. Not so long as her father walked the Earth.

 

In addition to loving guns when Malon hated them, Talon also refused to let his daughter date. Shortly after Link got his girlfriend, Malon tried to find a boyfriend. But to the day of Malon finishing junior year, the farthest in a prospective relationship she’d ever gotten with _anyone_ was asking to go someplace. No sex, kissing, none of it. She was probably more clueless on the topic of romance than Link, and Link actively avoided dating for a year.

 

By the end of junior year, only five people ever bothered to ask Malon out, since everyone and their mother knew Talon wouldn’t let his daughter date until he was six feet under. It was a miracle Link was even allowed within ten feet of her. Malon theorized that since her father first met Link when the boy was in sixth grade, he felt that he’d known Link long enough to trust him not to try anything around Malon.

 

Later that day, Malon heard a knock at the door.

 

_He’s doomed,_ Malon thought. _My father’s gonna open that door and he’s screwed._

 

Surely enough, the face greeting the boy was not Malon, but her father.

 

“An’ what're ye doin’ here?”

 

“Um, hi, sir, I was looking for Malon.”

 

Talon eyed the boy suspiciously. “An’ what’re ya gonna do? Has that school started to make students do group projects for summer work now? Why, I oughta give ‘em a piece of my mind!”

 

Rather than go along with the summer work story, the boy chose to dig his own grave. “Um, no, actually, I was gonna take Malon to see a movie.”

 

Talon turned beet red. Not out of embarrassment, but anger.

 

“Boy, ya got ten seconds t’ leave er I’m gettin’ my shotgun.”

 

“Sir-”

 

“My daughter ain’t datin’ nobody! You ain’t no exception!”

 

Watching from her bedroom window, Malon wasn’t sure if his threats were at all legal. But it didn’t matter. The boy ran away faster than the postman.

 

Talon’s stubbornness was the only reason she hadn’t confessed her crush on Link yet. Even as other boys asked her out (though that was as far as they got relationship-wise), her crush on Link persisted. She didn’t want her father to drive him away like he had the other boys. She especially wanted something to happen between her and Link, much more than the other boys, and she didn’t know how she’d manage if she couldn’t see him.

 

_No, I’m acting like I’m just gonna take it if he drives Fairy Boy away. I’m sick of this, I’ll fight him on it. Who is he anyway, to control who I date_? Malon thought.

 

Malon knew that her father wanted her to marry a farmer, or at least a landowner. He’d mentioned several times that it was a shame none of the Gormans- Ingo and his two brothers- had any children, otherwise he’d have her betrothed to one of them. Malon considered it a relief that they didn’t. The thought of marrying, consummating with, and having children from a theoretical mini-Ingo made her vomit. Plus, if there was more than one, they might argue with each other over who would get her hand in marriage.

 

_I read way too many romance novels_ , Malon concluded when that last thought popped in her head.

 

She sighed, upset.

  
_I hope Fairy Boy’s summer has gone off to a better foot than mine._

 

…

 

Link sat on his bed, Saria sitting on the carpet. Navi was off conversing with the other fairies near the Great Deku Tree.

 

“Navi has good suggestions at times, y’know. I’m still disappointed you didn’t try to ask that purple-haired lady out.”

 

“I’m not. Within the past month, she’s had seven boyfriends, all of whom I’d seen her flirt with as much as she’s flirted with me. I’d probably just be as disposable to her as them.”

 

“Okay… I just wish you’d get back into the dating game in general. If you’re not feeling comfortable with asking a random person out, I can serve as your date, at least until you’re more okay with the whole shebang.”

 

“Even after last time?”

 

Link was referring to a point when he took Saria to see a movie. A cop saw Saria and pulled Link aside, thinking he was taking out someone barely over half his age. It took Saria intervening and clarifying that she was his age, just a Kokiri, to drive the cop away. To say the mood was ruined didn’t even begin to describe it.

 

“Yes, even after last time.”

 

…

 

“Dumbass motherfucker! It doesn’t take a genius to know I’ve got more fingers than you do chromosomes!”

 

Recently, Mido had gotten into online gaming. The Great Deku Tree permitted him to go into town and buy both gaming hardware and online setup.

 

Recently, everyone in Kokiri Circle hated Mido.

 

Coincidence? Link and Navi thought not. Mido was loud and crass. He picked up more foul language than any of the other Kokiri around him, and some of the Kokiri were involved with gangs.

 

When Mido was going off on another player about banging said player’s mother, Link walked in, annoyed, and told him to quiet down. Mido told Link to fuck himself.

 

“I could do that and it’d mean I get laid more than you,” Link rebuked.

 

Mido got up from his setup and tried to rush Link. But Link was quite fit and agile- he was a member of the school’s fencing club in junior year before the club shut down due to an accident, though they let Link keep his gear, so long as he never used it. Plus, Mido was the size of a prepubescent child. In a fight, Link would be- and was- the clear victor. Link picked Mido up by the collar, Mido flailing uselessly.

 

“Let me go!” Mido yelled.

 

“Y’know, for someone who seems to be mad at me for ‘stealing’ Saria from you, you do a good job of driving her away yourself,” Link noted.

 

Mido clawed at Link, only to be blinded by Navi- fairies emitted a naturally bright light, and staring at one directly could cause vision problems. He fell to the floor, shrieking.

 

Link sometimes wondered how Mido’s guardian fairy put up with him. Though, he hadn’t seen the fairy around for a bit, so maybe they didn’t put up with him at all.

 

…

 

“Mal?” Talon entered Malon’s room.

 

“Yeah, Dad? Is this about that boy?”

 

“Not at all. But you know you can’t do stuff like that.”

 

“And why not?”

 

Talon quickly changed the subject. Did he even know why?

 

“Anyways, ever since the Juggler twins left us in May, we haven’t had anybody assigned to herd the cows. Ingo’s had to, but I frankly think he does too much.”

 

“So, you’re looking for new hires?”

 

“Yeah, probably. Can y’ do me a favor and post some flyers advertisin’ the position?”

 

“Fine…”

 

Malon walked down Cistern Lane, near the location of Faron Woods. She hadn’t posted any flyers yet. But she didn’t have to. She knew exactly who she’d approach for the job. It would give her an opportunity to see him more, which she always wanted. And he’d always needed to get out of his house more often.

 

“Hey, Fairy Boy!” she called upon reaching Kokiri Circle.

 

Link did not walk out. Mido, however, did.

 

“Well, who have we here?” Mido whistled. Thinking himself a casanova, Mido would try his hand at asking out girls who were frankly quite out of his league (read: everyone). Like Saria, the fact that Kokiri were traditionally single did not stop him from pursuing a relationship, though things never went well with the women he asked. If they were single, he was lucky to just get rejected. Sometimes he’d be chased off by the girl’s friends. If they weren’t single, well, Mido need not be reminded of the time he had been hung by his underwear on the flagpole by the angry boyfriend of a girl he’d asked out.

 

“Hey, gorgeous. Howzabout I take you for a good time?”

 

Malon did not consider herself attractive. She was no doubt pretty to look at, but she didn’t have the svelte figure most boys at school lusted after (recently, one such figure was Zelda Nohansen, the mayor’s daughter). She was slightly chubby, though perfectly healthy (she blamed puberty on the former point), but try telling that to a boy with extremely high standards. Due to this, anyone who asked her out, she would most likely say yes to. Mido, however, gave her an extremely bad vibe, a vibe that intensified when Link, walking out at last, rushed to Mido.

 

“What did the Great Deku Tree say about this kind of behavior?!” Link yelled. “You can’t just catcall everyone in sight!”

 

“Please, you’re just jealous I can get more chicks than you.”

 

On any other day, Link would retort by saying that he’d at least had a girlfriend while Mido didn’t even make it past the asking phase. But he knew how much Malon hated when people compared romantic successes, so he let it be.

 

“So anyway, whaddya say?” Mido continued, talking to Malon again.

 

“I’ll pass.”

 

“I… what?” Mido had clearly not expected this response.

 

Link saw Mido ready to lose his shit. So he quickly motioned for Malon to follow him to his house.  


 

“You got something to tell me?”

 

“Well, my father’s looking for new hires on the ranch, specifically to herd the cows. And I thought you need to get out of the house more, so…”

 

And that was how Link wound up spending the first weekend of summer heading to the Lon Lon Ranch for a job interview.

 

Talon was asleep in his office. Navi was halfway through convincing Link to leave when he woke up.

 

Link fumbled his way through the interview. He’d never had a job before, so interviewing was something new to him.

 

But either he had charm or Talon was desperate for hires, since when everything was reviewed, Talon shined his typical grin and bellowed, “Welcome to the team, Link. Your first shift’s tomorrow. Be here by 9:00 AM.”

 

The next day arrived soon enough. Link prepared to leave when Saria showed up.

 

“I guess you’re going out now, huh? Good to get out of the house for once, right?”

 

“I suppose it is. It’s been a bit.”

 

“I have something for you.”

 

Saria pulled out a blue ocarina and handed it to Link.“It’s not much, but here. A good luck charm. Learn to play for me, won’t you?”

 

“Okay. I will.”

 

The ranch loomed over the distance as Link and Navi left Kokiri Circle. They’d be back, but there felt like a sense of finality to it.

 

Link’s new ocarina glistened in the glow of the rising sun. Lon Lon Ranch. A place of opportunity and hard work, but rewarding hard work.

 

And for all Link’s faults, he was a hard worker. So it was time to put that to good use.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Talon's not necessarily that likable in this story. I know this kinda goes against his characterization in OoT, but at the end of the day I wanted to do something different with the character. And it was always in the plan to have Malon be absolutely new to dating, so this just gives me a way to explain why.


	3. Summer Break on Lon Lon Ranch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link begins work on the ranch, taking summer in slowly, and a conversation about how overbearing Talon can be leaves him wondering if he does indeed want to be the lucky guy to date Malon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When your story's about a socially awkward guy who doesn't want to make new friends and his life in senior year of high school, chapters about summer break don't really seem to have much to do except world building a bit. Or is that just an excuse for laziness?

“And then ya gotta sing to her! She don’t listen to anybody that doesn’t play the song!”

 

Herding the cows shouldn’t have been too difficult. But Epona just wouldn’t listen.

 

“Them Juggler twins just picked a different horse. But I think you can do it with Epona, Fairy Boy! Just sing the song! I can’t do it every time!”

 

“Um, Malon, I can’t sing.”

 

“Then use that ocarina you have in your pocket!” Navi butted in.

 

“I don’t know how to play an ocarina!”

 

“I do!”

 

Link looked at Malon, gobsmacked.

 

“Well, sorta. I never played one, but my mother did! She taught me to read sheet music, except I just prefer to sing a cappella.”

 

“Your mother composed Epona’s song, right? Did she ever create sheet music for it?”

 

“Of course she did! She loved playing that song on her ocarina.”

 

“Can you find it?”

 

Fifteen minutes later, Malon emerged from the house with sheet music in hand. Instructing Link on how to play the song, she had him repeat it until he could memorize it without her guidance.

 

An hour into Link’s first shift, Link finally managed to recreate the song perfectly enough to get Epona to warm up to him. With his new steed, Link managed to herd every cow into the pasture with little effort.

 

“Well, now, I’ve lived on this ranch all my life and I think that you’re the best herder we’ve ever had! I’ll have to get my father to give you a raise.”

 

“You’re only saying that because I’m your best friend.”

 

In addition to having horrible social skills, Link had trouble figuring out when someone was genuinely complimenting him.

 

“No, I mean it. Really! Now just repeat that every morning and evening, and you’re good!”

 

…

 

Mid-July marked a special time on the ranch. New calves were born, and Talon allowed Link and Malon to help him take care of them for the first week.

 

“Newborns were always difficult to raise, but with patience they’re not much different than handling adult cattle. Jes’ gotta be more careful with them,” Talon explained to Link. In addition to being the boss, Talon was responsible for raising baby calves and foals.

 

Late in July, Link took Saria and Malon to see a magic show in downtown Lanayru. When the acts were real magic and not just tricks, the feats that could be performed were amazing.

 

“Bah! When I was in the show business, we had to rely on actual physical talent, not this magic bullshit!” Ingo scoffed upon asking Link where they had gone.

 

“You speak of magic like it’s a new thing when it’s older than Hyrule itself,” Navi noted.

 

“I’m just saying that these people only use magic because they’re not talented enough to carry a show otherwise!” Ingo protested.

 

“Well, for a Hylian to use magic, they’d have to be pretty talented,” Link argued. “If anyone could learn magic easily, half the jobs in the world wouldn’t be needed. And magic’s pretty important, considering some medicines are made from fairy magic.”

 

By this point, Navi was pulling Link away, seeing the futility in continuing the argument with someone who did not care. Ingo left soon after, returning to his cabin. Moans were heard seconds later. Everyone knew why.

 

Every few days, Ingo would have a random woman over. Today was one such day.

 

Malon would argue the hypocrisy in her father restricting her love life while he let Ingo pick up Goddesses-know-who from Goddesses-know-where, but Talon would argue the fact that Malon was his daughter and he was responsible for her while Ingo was a grown man and therefore responsible for himself. Despite this, in actuality Talon did not approve of Ingo’s womanizing at all. He let him go on anyways, and did not exert the same level of control over Ingo’s choices as he did for his daughter.

 

Link thought Talon’s priorities were out of sync when he found this out. Reflecting on this, he found himself disturbed by another moan.

 

“If I hear that fucking woman moan one more goddamn time I’ll-”

 

“Calm down, Navi. It’s not that bad-”

 

Link was interrupted, almost fittingly, by the sound of yet another moan from Ingo’s cabin. Navi groaned loudly, and Link shook his head.

 

“I need a drink.”

 

“You’re not allowed until you’re 18.”

 

“Not ‘drink’ as in alcohol- a glass of warm Lon Lon Milk will do the trick.”

 

“Well, I’m sure Ingo’s guzzled down all the alcohol anyways.”

 

Link stumbled into the kitchen to find Malon already there, pouring a glass of milk.

 

“I take it Ingo’s little romp woke you up too?” Link called out to her.

 

“Hey, Fairy Boy. Yeah, it did. It always does. I remember in eighth grade it got so bad that you had to stop spending the night.”

 

“Don’t remind me.”

 

An uncomfortable silence followed, until another moan broke it.

 

“I still don’t get why your father lets Ingo get away with bringing prostitutes onto his land, but won’t let you date.”

 

“He doesn’t approve, but he wants to keep Mr. Ingo around,” Malon explained. “They were friends as children, y’know.”

 

“I didn’t. But it makes sense, since I don’t see Ingo getting a job here any other way.”

 

“Yeah. So my father feels obligated to give Mr. Ingo this job, and if that means tolerating something he normally wouldn’t, then so be it, I guess.”

 

“Still doesn’t explain his strictness on you,” Link pointed out.

 

“It probably has something to do with me being his only daughter an’ all. Wants to protect me. That said, I don’t need protectin’.”

 

“Jeez, no offense, but your father is the _epitome_ of rural farmer stereotypes.”

 

“You think I don’t know that, Fairy Boy? It’s somethin’ I’ll be telling my children.”

 

“Let’s hope their father isn’t like yours.”

 

“Goddesses, no. I’ve always wanted to have children, but I couldn’t stand if it were with some hick farmer from some backwater district! They’re pretty much carbon copies of my father- gun loving, Goddess-worshipping, warrior type, borderline sexist, ‘I run this land’ folk who think they need to prove superior in their own dick measuring contests! I can fuckin’ take care of myself!” Malon began to fume, having been angered by her own rant.

 

Link gulped. If there was one thing he feared, it was when Malon was angry.

 

“I-If you don’t mind me asking, who _do_ you want to marry?”

 

Malon was taken aback by this. Her crush on Link remained, so naturally her answer would be him. But she couldn’t just say that. Then it came to her. Link always wanted to be a vet, that much she remembered. Couple that with a basic outline of his personality and Malon could construct an answer that still included Link within its boundaries, but wasn’t too obvious as to clue him in immediately.

 

“Probably a doctor- maybe one who works with animals. Somebody who’s kind and keeps quiet, who’s smart and witty.”

 

“That’s a good answer,” Link replied, and for a minute Malon thought he knew she was referring to him.

 

But he didn’t. Link was many things, but having been out of the dating game for a while left him absolutely clueless as to when somebody liked him. It was the only reason he didn’t suspect Saria of having a crush.

 

“I think my father’s even considering older men, he’s that desperate to have me marry a landowner.”

 

“Well, most landowners are at least in their early thirties, at least in Faron.”

 

“Yeah, but before he mostly looked for future landowners. Like, teenage guys who are gonna inherit their parents’ land when they kick the bucket. He hopes that he can merge my prospective husband’s land with his, and expand the business to more than one plot. Goddesses know he won’t just let me go off and live somewhere else without it being under those circumstances- if I leave, there’ll be nobody to inherit this land, and the Lon family has lived here since over one hundred years ago.”

 

“Your father’s kind of a dolt.”

 

“Maybe, but I still love him.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

“I’ve planned on going to a university, so maybe I’ll live in one of the dorms. What’s my dad gonna do, follow me to the campus?”

 

“WHAT’RE YOU TWO KIDS UP FER?!” Talon yelled from his bedroom. Either Ingo or Link & Malon woke him up, and he was always cranky when woken up from a pleasant sleep.

 

Rather than complain about Ingo, since Talon would just ignore it, Link opted to return to bed. Malon chose to do the same.

 

“That could have gone better for us,” Navi noted as they walked outside to return to their cabin.

 

“Still never did get that milk,” Link muttered as he put on the covers.

 

“Malon’s a good kid, and her father means well, but it’s clear their interests don’t align,” Navi noted. “Eventually, one’s gonna have to let up, and considering how stubborn both of them are, it could be years before they do.”

 

“Navi, why do you think her father never lets her date?”

 

“I think that’s just his overprotective nature. He wants to keep his daughter safe, and to him, that means shooting down suitors.”

 

“Even still, there are times when she wants to date the suitor, but he doesn’t let her.”

 

“Well, we know that he wants her to marry some proud farmer who loves to use guns for things.”

 

“Probably just a farmer.”

 

“Do we have any other kind in Faron other than what I just described?”

 

“In terms of landowners, not really, I guess. From what I’ve gathered from visits here, none of the employees save Ingo have been fond of guns. And from what Talon mentioned in those long stories about how he met her, neither was Malon’s mother- speaking of, Navi, do you think she’d be annoyed with Talon at how he limits Malon’s romance options?”

 

“Possibly.”

 

“You know Malon’s got a bit of a bad rep at school. People talk of the farmgirl whose dad won’t let her go out on dates.”

 

“Well, I’m sure Talon’ll see that as an absolute win. Means less people will seek her out, which he wants.”

 

“I’m worried for her. She really deserves better than what her father has in place for her.”

 

“Sounds to me like _you_ wanna make a move on her.”

 

Link hadn’t thought of it, so when Navi said that, he nearly fell over.

 

“Please. With Talon, I’d have better survival odds playing Russian Roulette.”

 

Navi laughed. “That’s true.”

 

A thought popped into Link’s head. A small thought, but one that kept him wondering all night. Between his recent interactions with Malon and now Navi suggesting it, the thought was certainly more realistic than Link would like to admit.

 

“Navi… on second thought, maybe I _do_ want to make a move on her. I just never thought of it like that, but…”

 

“I told you so! Think of it- you’re getting closer to her every day, in no small part thanks to this job. You’ve been inviting her out with Saria when you normally just invite Saria. If that’s not the early signs of a crush, I don’t know what is!”

 

“Well, have _you_ ever had a crush?”

 

“Er… no?”

 

“Then you really don’t know what is.”

 

“Not really. But after all the shit you’ve been dragged through regarding romance, maybe this is your big ch- oh, yeah, Talon. Forgot about the big guy.”

 

“So, what do I do?”

 

“Wait until an opportunity presents itself.”

 

“And what opportunity is there?”

 

“Wait a year, until you’re both off to college. Then ask her out in her college dorm.”

 

“We don’t even know what college she’s going to!”

 

“Simple! We find out the ranch’s profits, what cut Talon gets, and look up what colleges he could afford!”

 

“…”

 

“Well, all we know is you can’t say a thing until Talon’s a non-issue. And unless he drops dead tomorrow, that ain’t happening for a while.”

 

“It sounds vaguely like you’re threatening Talon.”

 

“Hey, I’m a snarker, not a psychopath.”

 

Link swatted at Navi, who giggled and perched on the bedside table. Link let sleep consume him.

 

_How am I gonna deal with this?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With one of the main plotlines established at last, it's time we move onto another. Namely, that regarding Ganondorf. Until next time!


	4. Final Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School inches closer to beginning as Link encounters Ganondorf much earlier than expected. At the ranch, Talon chases off yet another suitor, and Malon begins to grow tired of her father's continued crusade against potential dates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter (this one), and then things pick up. More characters will be introduced, and a change of setting from the ranch is one I'm really looking forward to.

“Here’s your latte, sir. That’ll be a green rupee!”

 

The distinct sound of a rupee hitting a hard surface rang through the Dragon Roost Cafe. Link grabbed his drink and returned to his table outside, where Malon was sitting with a cup of coffee in hand.

 

“School starts in a few days, Fairy Boy,” Malon observed. “I can’t believe summer’s already over.”

 

“Yeah, it kinda felt like nothing much happened. I got a job at your ranch, and that’s really it for major events.”

 

“How’re you gonna deal with Ganondorf?”

 

“Ugh, I forgot about that asshole. Best part of summer, hands down, is me not having to see him for a few months.”

 

“You didn’t answer my question.”

 

“I don’t know what I’ll do. It seems like he goes out of his way to find me.”

 

As if on cue, a couple walked through the door, each with a coffee in hand, one after the other. Link recognized them both.

 

The first was a tall, muscular Gerudo male with a gem on his forehead. Red hair flowed down to nearly shoulder length, and a large tract of chest hair peeked out from his black tank top.

 

_ Ganondorf, _ Link thought.

 

The second was a smaller Gerudo female, also fairly muscular. Her hair was braided into a long ponytail, and she wore a tan midriff and pink short shorts. She was visually stunning, but Link did not find her attractive at all.

 

_ Not after what she’s done to me, _ Link grimaced.

 

Navi tugged at Link’s ear. “Link, it’s-”

 

“I know who it is!” Link whispered.

 

“Now, now, that’s quite rude, isn’t it, Forrester? Talking to the air and ignoring someone who’s right next to you?”

 

Shit. Ganondorf noticed him.

 

“Mind your own business, Ganondorf. I’d hate for you to waste your single brain cell on me.”

 

“Is that back talk I hear? We can take this to the back alley, you know. After all, I’d hate to leave trash here!”

 

“Then pick her up and leave, jackass,” Malon butted in, gesturing to Ganondorf’s girlfriend.

 

“And who’re you?” the girl finally spoke up. “Some whore who runs her mouth when she isn’t supposed to?”

 

“Please, Nabooru, I can handle this wench.”

 

“You of all people shouldn’t be calling others whores,” Link told Nabooru sternly. It wasn’t every day that Link got mad, but Ganondorf and Nabooru were good ways to rile him up.

 

“Looks like Little Orphan Annie remembers our little romp,” Ganondorf grinned to Nabooru, who snickered. “Who’re you with, your new girlfriend?”

 

“I-”   
  


“Oh, wait, I forgot! Ginger here can’t date because her daddy won’t let her!”

 

Link got up to leave, only for Ganondorf to pull him back by the collar.

 

“Don’t leave yet, not when the party’s about to start!”

 

Link held nothing back this time. He punched Ganondorf, square in the face. Though Ganondorf was strong and durable, he was completely unprepared for it, so the punch knocked him onto the ground. Link then ran as fast as he could, Malon following. They got in the truck they used to drive there and booked it.

 

“That bastard!” Ganondorf yelled, getting up to face Nabooru. “I can’t believe you once dated that loser.”   
  


“I was desperate before you,” Nabooru replied.

 

“Even I wouldn’t be  _ that _ desperate.”

 

“You gonna get back at him, baby?”

 

“Of course. But not now. When school starts. Then he’ll be on my domain, and I’ll make him regret it.”

 

Ganondorf leaned in to kiss Nabooru.

 

“Forrester’s made his last mistake,” he said as they walked off.

 

…

 

“And then I punched him in the face! He fell to the ground and me ‘n Malon took off running.”

 

“Wow!” Saria gasped in amazement. Link had rushed to her place with the most interesting story.

 

“It was awesome. You should’ve been there.”

 

“Link, I have a question for you. And answer me honestly.”

 

“Sure, what is it?”

 

“Malon… do you like her? Recently you’ve been hanging out with her way more often than usual.”   
  


“Saria, that’s to be expected. My workplace is literally her backyard.”

 

“Still… we used to do a lot together. Now, I feel like you’re forgetting me.”

 

Link sighed. “You feel like I’m neglecting you, huh?”

 

“Kinda.”

 

“Hey, Saria. Sometimes, friends drift. But I’ll tell you that no matter how much I hang out with Malon, no matter where I go, I’ll always be your friend. I’ll keep you in mind with a smile.”

 

Saria wiped away a tear. “Thanks, Link. That means a lot.”

 

“No problem.”

 

“So back to my question. Do you like Malon?”

 

Link hesitated for a bit, and that was all Saria needed to formulate an answer.

 

“You can tell me anything, you know. You don’t need to hide anything from me.”

 

“Nobody can know. Especially since Malon’s father refuses to let her date.”

 

“Of course. I’ll be quiet as an Octorok.”

 

“Octoroks aren’t that quiet.”   
  


“I’ll be quiet nonetheless.”

 

The next day marked the last day of summer vacation. Link packed things for school and headed off to the ranch for work. It had long been decided that Link would get up early to herd the cows, so that he could do his job and not miss the bus.

 

“You realize you’re gonna be absolutely wrecked at school, don’t you?” Navi warned.   
  


“Yeah, I do. But I’d rather be tired than fired.”

 

Work was easy and swift. After herding the cows back into the barn and watching the sun set, Link saw a boy running off from the front door, terrified for his life.

 

“Who was that?” Link walked up to Talon in the doorway.

 

“Just some boy who thinks he can date my daughter,” Talon answered curtly. “Not if her paw got somethin’ to say ‘bout it!” he chuckled.

 

Link chuckled back.  _ Oh Goddesses, there’s no way I’m gonna get her to be my girlfriend. Even if she liked me back, her father’s always got one in the barrel. _

  
He went upstairs to use the bathroom, only to find Malon in her room, seething.

 

“It ain’t fair! M’ paw thinks he c’n just aim at anyone that comes t’ see me!”

 

Malon was angry, and when she got really angry, her grammar became erratic. Though she had an Faron accent common among rural settlers, her speech was usually decent, if not above average.

 

“Oh, hey, Fairy Boy.”

 

“You good?”

 

“Naw. My dad’s bein’ a dick again.”

 

“He knows he can’t just keep you sheltered from dating forever, right? Soon, you’re gonna be a graduated adult and he can’t stop you from doing whatever then.”   
  


“Which is why he’s tryin’ to find me a husband ’fore that happens.”

 

Link nodded solemnly.

 

“Fairy Boy, I don’t know what to do! I absolutely can’t marry anyone my pa chooses!”

  
“You never know, he might find someone you’d love,” Link tried to remain optimistic.

 

“Bullshit. He hasn’t looked outside of Faron or Ordona. He’s limitin’ himself to half of Castle Town, an’ it’s the half I don’t want a thing to do with! I’m actually looking forward to school just so I don’t have to deal with him.”

 

“Yikes.”

 

“Speakin’ of school, we oughta get goin’ to bed. We got a big day tomorrow, and you especially have to get up early.”

 

“Don’t remind me.”

 

With less than 8 hours to go before school began, Link tucked himself in and prayed to the Goddesses that this year would go decently enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf's kind of pissed. Saria's kind of sad. Talon's kind of controlling. And Malon's kind of sick of her father's bullshit. In the middle is Link. He's kind of screwed.
> 
> What could be considered the prologue arc of sorts is finally complete! Out of all my previous drafts for the story, this one's the one I'm looking forward to finishing most (hence why it's the one I'm using and not previous drafts).
> 
> Maybe I'll share some details about those previous drafts some other time. A look at what could've been.


	5. Dawn of the First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule Academy is open for education, and Link goes through the motions of his first day, both good motions and bad ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we're getting into the school aspect of the story, more and more characters will be introduced. I plan to have every character be a central focus of at least one chapter each. Of course, that means finding reasonable ways to introduce them into Link's life.
> 
> Every single character in the story has roots in at least one pre-existing Zelda character. With only a few exceptions, every character also has at least partial basis in an Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask character.

“Fairy Boy! Wake up!”

 

Link opened his eyes to find he was not at his bedroom, nor at the ranch. He was slumped over on the school bus, resting on Malon’s side.

 

“Well there, finally awake, ain’t we?”

 

“What happened?”

 

“You woke up at 4:30 to herd the cows, then got prepared, then followed Malon to the bus, where you promptly passed out from sleep deprivation,” Navi answered.

 

“And where are we now?”

  
“The bus has just entered the Lanayru district of Castle Town, and we’re roughly two minutes from Hyrule Academy.”

 

Hyrule Academy was a large structure built near Castle Town Square. It was east of Hyrule Castle, a place long since deserted due to the end of the monarchy in Hyrule. However, the castle was renovated into a museum and popular tourist attraction housing several royal heirlooms and artifacts from the time of the kingdom’s prosperity.

 

Hyrule Academy was split into four main buildings- one for history and literature, one for mathematics and science, one for the arts, and one for miscellaneous purposes. Students were divided into homerooms based on grade and last name. Everyone in Link’s grade had homeroom in the mathematics/science building.

 

For every new year, headmaster Rauru Lumiere Gaepora greeted his students, incoming freshmen or departing seniors, in the auditorium. This year was no different.

 

Link sat in between Saria and Malon, and Rauru stepped up to the mic. Next to him was Impa Ombre, the deputy headmistress.

 

“Welcome, students of Hyrule Academy, new and old! Whether I am greeting you for the first time, or for the last, or any time in between, it is a pleasant day to see you all.”

 

The auditorium echoed with applause.

 

“It is with great pride that I announce the changes and major events that will be occurring this year.”

 

Murmurs echoed.

 

“First of all, it is with a heavy heart that I must say that, due to insufficient funding, the Magic Studies class exclusive to seniors will no longer be held. Students with that class on their schedule will have study hall instead.”

 

Saria cursed under her breath. Link did as well- both were going to take it, and were looking forward to it.

 

Despite the boring sounding name, Magic Studies was said to be one of the best classes at Hyrule Academy. Students in that class often went on to scientific fields where magic was used to create several things, such as medicines from fairy magic. It was an entertaining course of experimentation.

 

“However, we have good news for our athletes,” Rauru continued. “We have dedicated time and money into upgrading equipment and gear so that everyone may have a better experience.”

 

The sounds of jocks cheering rang through the ears of everyone in the auditorium.

 

“Gee, I wonder if you could’ve used that funding for the Magic Studies course instead?” Saria asked rhetorically, on the verge of losing it.

 

“It’s ironic how the school spends more funds on sports than education,” Navi noted.

 

“It’s more sad than anything,” Link added, more upset than angry.

 

“Next,” Rauru continued, “is the homecoming game and corresponding dance. Students must pay a fee of one blue rupee at the school’s front gate to be allowed access to the dance, and a yellow rupee to access the stadium.”

 

Malon was dozing off at this point- she obviously wasn’t going to the dance, and she didn’t care about sports whatsoever. Link paid attention- he had plans to go to the dance, even if it was just with Saria as friends.

 

“We have gotten the Indigo-Go’s once more to play at our homecoming dance. We trust that you will be pleased with their presence.”

 

The Indigo-Go’s were a rock band from the neighboring country of Termina, popular both there and in Hyrule. Without fail, they were commissioned to play at Hyrule Academy’s major dances every year for the past three years. Recently, though, they had announced a worldwide tour, and if they would perform at Hyrule Academy was thrown up in the air. This seemed to answer that.

 

Applause boomed through the auditorium.

 

“Kings and queens at the dances will be voted for via a ballot. You will learn more about this by the time of each dance.”

 

Link yawned. Unlike some other students, his life wasn’t devoted to being nominated for homecoming king.

 

No schools in Hyrule Castle Town held prom at the end of the year. Instead, there was one large summer fair held in June. Games, rides, and a big dance at the end. The Indigo-Go’s were set to perform at the next one, but unlike at HA’s homecoming dances, this would be their first time performing at the fair.

 

Soon, he began to snore.

 

He really needed the rest, too.

 

“Link! Wake up!”

 

Link opened his eyes to find the auditorium empty, save for Saria, Navi, and Malon, who were nudging him awake.

 

“How much did I miss?” Link asked.

 

“He talked about clubs and stuff, but nothing that we weren’t told in the previous opening assem-”

 

Saria was cut off by the sound of a bell.

 

“Oh, shit! Homeroom!”

 

Link pulled a crumpled schedule out of his pockets, and ran all the way to homeroom. Out of breath, he collapsed in the doorway, before composing himself and taking his seat.

 

“Mr. Forrester?” asked Ms. Tina Funday. “Are you well?”

 

“Yeah,” Link panted, “Just a bit out of breath.”

 

“Yes, we can hear it.”

 

Saria walked in the door a minute later. Kokiri were assigned one of three last names by the Great Deku Tree upon sprouting, and Saria’s last name of Foret meant that she was in the same homeroom as Link, even sitting in front of Link.

 

“What’re you doing so late?” Link whispered to her.

 

“Late? If anything, you were early. You ran out of the auditorium at the first bell, not the second one. I just took my time.”

 

On cue, the second bell rang.

 

“See? You ran for no reason.”

 

“Oh well,” Link muttered, “I needed the exercise anyway.”

 

“You’re fit enough,” Saria disagreed.

 

“Now, if we’ll all be quiet so that I may take attendance,” Ms. Funday began.

 

First period was animal science, which Link took to prepare for when he began to take veterinary courses. Nobody he knew was in the class, though immediately upon arriving the wealthy Ruto Eau de Bon made her presence known.

 

“Great, the drama queen,” Navi whispered to Link.

 

Ruto was a popular student. Her father was the aristocratic Zora de Bon, a former business partner of Mayor Nohansen. Her uncle was Toto de Bon, the manager of the Indigo-Go’s. She was spoiled rotten by her father, and she was vain & condescending.

 

She sat in the seat next to Link, meaning Navi couldn’t talk about her without Ruto hearing.

 

“Your partners for the class will be the person sitting next to you. This is non-negotiable unless a reasonable complaint is lodged to the headmaster or deputy headmistress,” explained the instructor, an old man known to the class as Dr. Mizumi.

 

Navi gulped. At best, Link would be gossipped about by Ruto and her clique. At worst, he’d be accused of sexual assault like the poor sap who was Ruto’s partner in literature the year prior. Link wasn’t sure how that accusation stood- Hylians and Zora weren’t even sexually compatible.

 

Second period was calculus with Ms. Funday, Link’s homeroom teacher. Despite being absolutely atrocious at math, Link knew he needed to at least pass a calculus course to be eligible for Castle Town University’s veterinary courses.

 

“You’re gonna have to be able to learn this stuff on your own,” Navi said. “There’ll be a time in life when you need it for your job and I can’t be there to tutor you.”

 

“I’ll study extra hard this year, then,” Link resolved.

 

The class was long and droning, even though it was just the first day. When the bell rang, Link darted out of the room.

 

That was a mistake.

 

“Forrester! Turn around and face me!”

 

Shoot. It was Ganondorf.

  
“Sonuvabitch,” Navi cursed.

 

“No kiddin’,” Link agreed.

 

One punch sent Link to the ground. As Ganondorf prepared another punch, Link scrambled to his feet and rushed out of the building to literature class, where he fell to the ground, winded.

 

None of the teachers ever believed Link when he would say that Ganondorf did something to him, whether that be stealing his backpack or stuffing him into a locker. They viewed Ganondorf as a star student, one who was an upstanding role model. It helped that in addition to being a sports star, Ganondorf had surprisingly decent grades, though this was almost certainly due to his being placed in the lowest leveled classes so as not to disrupt his athletic career.

 

So this time, Link didn’t bother trying to explain why he looked like he got run over by a freight train.

 

Teaching Link’s literature class was Dina Funday, the twin sister of Tina Funday. To differentiate between the two, Dina was referred to as ‘Miss’ while Tina was referred to as “Ms.” Nobody remembered this difference, and nobody cared- the Fundays were universally disliked.

 

Fourth period marked what would have been Magic Studies, but instead, Link was to sit in the courtyard for study hall. Saria joined him, and the two played video games on Link’s handheld, taking turns.

 

To make up for the course being shut down, Navi performed a little routine involving fairy magic. It was entertaining to watch, though Navi grew tired shortly after and hid in Link’s cap.

 

“Don’t bother me for a while,” Navi said before falling asleep.

 

Fifth period marked lunch. This was one of two points where Link and Malon were in the same period. The two sat down at a table near the outskirts.

 

“So, what’s the bruise for?”

 

Malon held up a small mirror from her purse. Link looked to find he had a massive bruise near his cheekbone. Saria hadn’t mentioned anything about it, so he hadn’t noticed.

 

“Had a brief encounter with Ganondorf.”

 

“Already? We’re not even through the first day!”

 

“I think he’s upping the ante now that we’re in senior year.”

 

“And nobody believes that he’s doing this?”

 

“Adults are so useless sometimes.”

 

The cafeteria reduced to murmurs as the students ate.

 

“Just like old times, eh, Fairy Boy?” Malon asked. “Gosh, this is even how we met!”

 

“We’ll be doing this for one more year and then it’s done. I find it hard to believe.”

 

“So, how are your classes?”

 

“Most of them are fine. But I’ve got Ruto in my animal science class, and we’re supposed to be lab partners.”

 

“Ugh, she’s in my precalc class. She’s the worst. She mocked me because of my paw not letting me date!”

 

“You’d think she wouldn’t bother doing that. I thought we were unpopular enough to be overlooked by the jerks.”

 

Malon gave Link a death glare, causing a quick verbal backpedal.

  
“Er, I mean-”

 

“It’s fine, Fairy Boy, I’m just teasin’ ya. Yeah, I agree. Makes no sense to be targetin’ people like us.”

 

“Weren’t you popular in elementary school, though?”

 

“Everyone wanted to be friends with me, even if only to try and get free Lon Lon Milk.”

 

“Did they succeed?”

 

“Hell naw. You’re the only one who’s ever gotten free Lon Lon Milk.”

 

Shortly after befriending Malon, Link stopped going over to the Castle Town Megamart to buy milk when he could go over to the ranch and get some fresh milk for free. Talon didn’t care, though Ingo argued that this was bad business and they’d lose out on rupees.

 

“For Din’s sake, Ingo, he’s a kid! I think he’s allowed some leeway!”

 

For all of Talon’s faults, Link was glad his head was screwed on tight in some areas.

 

Period 6 marked band class with Professors Sharp and Flat, two Sheikah brothers who were professional musicians. Link originally wasn’t going to take music, but decided to when he learned ocarinas were allowed. Since the day he first tamed Epona, Malon helped teach him sheet music, and now Link could play a few songs from memory- aside from Malon’s song used to tame Epona, he could also play the song passed down by the royal family of Hyrule centuries ago, a song that in ancient times was said to shift the day and night cycle, and a song that was originally heralded as a tune that could manipulate the fabric of time itself. However, even in a world where magic was a common aspect of society, these last two rumors were too farfetched and illogical to possibly be true. At least the songs were still good.

 

After band class came physical education. Despite it only being the first day, the teacher, a young Goron known as Biggoron, insisted that the class get some exercise in. Thus, students had to change day one. Link wore a green t-shirt with shorts. The only suitable gym shorts he could find in his dresser were baggy and loose-fitting. But that would eventually work in his favor later on.

 

Malon was also in Link’s gym class, and as Link saw, she was absolutely stunning in gym attire.

 

“You’re staring!” Navi told him, still groggy from her rest.

 

“I-I can’t help it!” Link whispered back. “She’s hot!”

 

“Yeah, that bulge in your pants agrees.”

 

For once, Link was glad to find shorts that were too big. Of all places, it had to be P.E. where this type of thing happened. Shorts any tighter would have given anybody a good look at what was going on near Link’s lower half, but only Navi noticed.

 

Period 8, the last class of the day marked Hyrulean history for Link. Professor Shikashi took attendance, only to find one student missing.

 

“Where is she?” he murmured.

 

As if perfectly timed, the door swung open as a blond-haired girl wearing a pink shirt entered the room, backpack nestled closely to her back and books in hand.

 

“There you are, Miss Nohansen. Take a seat.”

 

The girl obliged and took a seat. The only available one was next to Link.

 

“I won’t be getting valedictorian like this!” she freaked out quietly. “Not even a week in and I’m already late to a class! No, don’t worry, Zelda, it’s fine, it’s just one class.”

 

“Seems even the more popular ones have their freakouts,” Navi observed.

 

“Hush,” Link warned.

 

Class was standard fare. As the students got up and left, Link swore he saw Zelda look at him and smile.

 

“No, she was probably looking at a friend,” Link guessed while walking through the hallway.

 

“And which friend?” Navi asked. “I saw none.”

 

“She’s the popular chick! She probably has a few dozen!”

 

The duo passed by Ganondorf and Nabooru on the way to the bus. Nabooru took notice of them and tapped Ganondorf on the shoulder.

 

“Hey, Ganon. Wasn’t that Forrester?”

 

“Hmm?” Ganondorf turned around to see Link walking away. “Meh, I’ve already got my lick in on him for today. A good one, too. Floored him ‘n everything. I’ll get him again tomorrow, I promise.”

 

“You do always keep your promises,” Nabooru smirked, leaning in for a kiss.

 

“And I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One major thing I'd like to avoid is the use of other Links in this story (such as Toon Link). The only way I'd change that is if I could find a way to make them work in the story, and so far, I haven't. A good bit of my old drafts for this actually used other Links (namely WW/Toon Link and SS Link), but they wound up playing such a minimal part in the story I wanted to tell I eventually dropped them entirely. I'm sure there's another modern Zelda fic that managed to incorporate several Links way better than I could've, anyways.
> 
> Fun fact: Each of the characters in the story has been given a full name. Since most of the Zeldaverse lacks either a first or last name, it was a chore to do so. Some characters, such as Ganondorf and Zelda, have had actual last names in canon, so I used those. Some, such as Link and Malon, were given last names that I've often seen them with in other works. Ingo takes his last name from his Terminian counterpart and said counterpart's brothers. Eventually, I gave up and used my semi-fluency in French to give them a last name that, when translated to English, corresponds to a major part of their roles in the games. For example, each of the 'sage' characters has a part of their name in French that corresponds to what sage they are- Impa and Saria's last names translate to 'shadow' and 'forest', while Rauru & Ruto have middle names that translate to 'light' and 'water', respectively. Nabooru's last name wasn't mentioned yet, but hers will be translated to 'spirit'. And Darunia (don't think I've included the other sages while neglecting to add this guy! He's in the next chapter), his last name will be translated to 'fire'.
> 
> That was a long end note. Anyone still reading? If so, I'd like to take a moment to thank you for doing so. It means a lot.


	6. In Your Corner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf makes Link regret crossing him, only to be stopped by an unlikely source. While tending to his injuries, Malon reminds Link that he doesn't have to go through school alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more I write this, the more I realize how difficult it is to have Ganondorf bully Link constantly and somehow get away with it all. But I'll find a way. After all, the school year's only just begun!

Being pinned to a locker by one hand was nothing unusual for Link. Neither was being punched in the face.

 

“That’s for last Saturday, Forrester!”

 

It was the Friday since school began. It had been nearly a week since Link encountered Ganondorf outside the cafe. Clearly, neither had forgotten.

 

Link tried to wiggle free, earning him a punch to the gut.

 

Within the first two days of school, Ganondorf learned Link had study hall fourth period. Ganondorf also had a free period then, though this wasn’t due to a cancelled class, but rather a simple lack of one- Ganondorf took as few classes as necessary so he could focus on sports. He decided that the free time was well spent harassing Link, though it wasn’t until a few days after discovering Link’s schedule, when Link left the courtyard to use the bathroom, that Ganondorf located him.

 

“Worthless. How’d you even get Nabooru to date you?”

 

Link wasn’t sure whether to make a snappy remark back. Navi knew better than to interfere- the last time she blinded Ganondorf, the Gerudo simply got up and socked Link in the stomach as hard as he could. It took an hour of dry heaving for Link to feel even remotely better.

 

“Silent. As you should be.”

 

Ganondorf lifted Link from the locker and slammed him into another one. Link was bruised and cut at this point. But Ganondorf knew he was in a position of power over Link, and wouldn’t be caught. He just had to be careful not to hospitalize the boy.

 

Or be hospitalized himself, with the way things went next.

 

Ganondorf felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to find a Goron hulking over him.

 

“I’ll give you five seconds to run,” the Goron warned menacingly.

 

Ganondorf laughed. “And what will you do to me-”

 

The Goron picked Ganondorf up and put him into a headlock. Ganondorf broke loose and gasped for air, deciding now was the time to listen.

 

“I’ll be back, Forrester,” he wheezed.

 

“And you’ll leave again, with broken bones if need be,” the Goron retorted.

 

Ganondorf hobbled away. Turning his attention to Link, the Goron picked him up.

 

“You good, little buddy? That asshole did a number on ya. Here, I’ll take ya to the nurse.”

 

“Who are you?” Link asked, delirious.

 

“Name’s Darunia. Member of the Goron heavyweight wrestling team. Made it my point to use free time to help out anyone who needs it. And seems like you’re it, little buddy.”

 

Navi peeked out of Link’s cap, curious.

 

“And you’ve got a fairy? That’s pretty cool.”

 

“L-Live with the Kokiri,” Link explained.

 

Helping Link on his feet, Darunia took him through the courtyard, where Saria saw Link and panicked.

 

“Link! Link!”

 

“Well, you never said you had a girlfriend! Except she’s… a kid? Little buddy, I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

 

“N-Not my girlfriend. Just a friend.”

 

“I’m a Kokiri,” Saria added. “If I weren’t I’d be his age.”

 

“Well, good to see I don’t have to report anything.”

 

A trip to the nurse’s office later, Link was inspected and given a red potion to numb the pain. With a few minutes in the period left, Link headed back to the courtyard, Darunia walking with him.

 

“I don’t even want to know what they put in that red potion that makes it taste so horrible,” Link commented as they walked out of the office.

 

“Y’know, something occurred to me. What’s a guy like Ganondorf doin’ bothering a guy like you? No offense, little buddy, but you don’t exactly stick out.”

 

“You know Nabooru, right?”

 

“Ganondorf’s girl? Yeah, I do. Absolute bitch. She relentlessly called me fat, even though this is just how Gorons naturally are! Shit hurts. Then she mocked my lack of brains, and so on. Hey, what’s she got to do with Ganondorf bullying you? You try to flirt with her or something?”

 

“Used to date her.”

 

“Oh. Oh, wow. Things didn’t work out?”

 

“Found her cheating on me with Ganondorf.”

 

“Goddesses above…”

 

“And now Ganondorf won’t let me be.”

 

“C’mon, you gotta have some friends that back you up.”

 

Link shook his head. “I have Saria and one other friend. Girl named Malon. Neither of them would last against Ganondorf.”

 

“Whoa, you’re friends with  _ her _ ? How’s her father even let you near her?”

 

“I befriended her at a young age. Didn’t have to worry about it when I did, and I guess he’s never bothered to get rid of me.”

 

“So, no other friends?”

 

“No. Always had social anxiety of sorts. Stems from when I was little, and I lived in an orphanage.”

 

Darunia nodded. “Well, add me to your list of friends. Here, I’ll even give you my number.”

 

The two exchanged numbers. Darunia shook Link’s hand afterwards, as if to seal the deal.

 

“That asshole bothers you anymore, and I’ll get him.”

 

“Won’t matter if he tries it in other periods. You and me don’t share any other classes as far as I know of.”

 

Comparing schedules confirmed this fact. Darunia was only a minor solution to a massive problem.

 

“And it won’t be long before Ganondorf puts this together.”

 

The bell rang before Link could return to Saria. Cursing Ganondorf silently, Link moved on to lunch.

 

The potion helped any injuries and pain, but the bruising remained- the red potion was slow-acting and would take time to heal everything completely. When Link sat down for lunch, Malon nearly fainted from shock.

 

“You can’t just keep letting Ganondorf do this stuff to you! You gotta do something!”

 

“Listen, Malon, it’s fine.”

 

“No, it’s not! You’re gonna get yourself killed one day!”

 

“Ganondorf wouldn’t kill me. He cares too much about his career to do so.”

 

The topic of Link’s injuries was dropped until Link showed up at the ranch for work later that day.

 

“Fairy Boy, c’mere.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Lay down on the couch.”

 

Link did as instructed. Soon, Malon pulled out a box of medical supplies.

 

“Alright, lift up your shirt.”

 

“What for?!” Link asked, now considerably jumpier.

 

“I’m gonna look at your injuries, do what I can to patch them up. A simple potion at the nurse’s office ain’t gonna cut it.”

 

Link reluctantly followed her commands.

 

_ Hope she thinks I’m good looking underneath, _ Link thought as Malon inspected a bruise on the right side of his chest.

 

Malon’s breathing grew erratic, as did Link’s. Neither noticed.

 

_ Goddesses, he’s so rugged and fit, _ thought Malon.  _ For a guy who’s spent a year largely indoors, he’s in amazing shape. He’s so… hot. _

 

Malon realized that while lost in thought, her hand lingered on one spot of Link’s bare torso. Jumping up, she prayed Link didn’t notice and carried on inspecting him. Link remained still as she continued.

 

Cuts and scrapes were cleaned and bandaged. Bruises were iced. Malon was great at medical care, though she certainly didn’t think it and didn’t want to pursue a career in medicine.

 

“You’re all good to go,” Malon smiled and helped Link up. “Remember, if you’re ever having problems, you have people to talk to.”

 

Link smiled back, put on his shirt, and left to herd the cows.

 

Indeed, he did. Malon, Saria, Navi, and now Darunia were all there to back him up.

 

He just hoped it would be enough.

 

…

 

Late that night, in his cabin on the ranch, Link woke up in a cold sweat, panicking and clutching his heart.

 

“Another one?” Navi asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Years of bullying at the orphanage and HA didn’t just result in social anxiety. Link suffered from nightmares on the daily, ranging from the depressing, such as a manifestation of his inner demons putting him down and nitpicking every single one of his flaws, to the outright terrifying. One of these latter kinds was on the menu tonight- in it, Ganondorf took the form of a demonic boar that pursued and stalked him throughout Castle Town, harming everyone he cared about along the way.

 

“You really need to talk to someone about that.”

 

“I have you.”

 

“Well, it’s pretty clear just talking to me ain’t cutting it. Don’t forget about everyone else.”

 

“Think anyone would understand?”

 

“Of course. Between those jackasses at the orphanage and now Ganondorf, it makes sense that these events would at least be somewhat traumatic for you.”

 

“Goddesses, between Talon and now Ganondorf, I just can’t seem to catch a break.”

 

“Well, Talon hasn’t done anything to you. And he won’t unless you make clear your intentions to try and get into his daughter’s panties.”

 

“You word it like I’m some sort of devil when it comes to girls.”

 

“That’s just your interpretation.”

 

Link sighed and rolled over in bed. It was clear to him that even talking to someone wouldn’t be enough.

 

“Then maybe find something to distract you,” Navi suggested when Link pointed this out.

 

“Like what?”

 

“Playing the ocarina! Anything!”

 

Link looked at Navi. In the dark, her blue light glistened softly, as if like a firefly.

 

“You’re really worried, aren’t you?”

  
“We all are.”

 

Link faintly smiled.

 

“Well, it’s worth a shot.”

 

On the bedside table lay the ocarina. Link picked it up and began to play Epona’s song.

 

“You’re getting better with that thing,” Navi pointed out.

 

The song was heard by all still awake on the ranch. Though most appreciated the music as a lullaby of sorts, including Malon, who was proud of Link for mastering the song, one did not.

 

In his cabin, Ingo paced back and forth angrily upon hearing the song. For some reason, whenever the song was played, he became more irritable than ever. Nobody knew why.

 

His groans of agony were drowned out by the song, playing forever into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darunia's probably the character that's changed the most of the sages. Most of their roles have remained the same across drafts (Rauru's the headmaster, Saria's the childhood friend, Nabooru's the horrible ex, etc.), but Darunia was originally supposed to be one of the teachers (a P.E. teacher, specifically). I aged him down because I felt that I wasn't giving him enough of a part in the story. And because the characters who were supposed to play his role of the cool friend to Link were written out.
> 
> Ingo's hatred of Epona's Song will be explained later. And no, it's not just because he loathes Malon.
> 
> Next chapter: hope you like Zelda!


	7. Lion's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A group project begins, and Link finds an unlikely partner and friend in none other than Miss Popular herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is by far the shortest chapter so far (and that's counting the next two, which I already have planned out). Though, Chapter 4 was also pretty short.

“…And last but not least, this will be a _group project_.”

 

If there was a better way to get the students of period 8 Hyrulean history to despise him, Professor Shikashi didn’t know it. A project within the first two weeks of school, and a group project at that, was already enough to rile them up. The project was simple- pick a major landmark of Hyrule and research it, creating a poster with the findings. But group projects took the simplicity and turned it on its side, making what would be effortless alone a daunting prospect to work with others. And being the antisocial loser he was, there was absolutely nobody Link wanted to work with. The past years had been the same: students get to pick groups, Link has no partner, and he gets put with somebody who’d rather not work with him.

 

So Link was just about the only person celebrating (internally, of course) when Professor Shikashi revealed that the groups of two would be decided at random.

 

The list was long and boring, Link only paying attention to when his name was called.

 

“Zelda and Link, you will be group 9.”

 

Link spit out his coffee. Navi just about lost it, circling Link like mad. Everyone in class stared at Zelda, hoping to gauge a reaction from her.

 

Zelda gave nothing away, only staring off into space like she had been.

 

“And that’s the groups. I’d advise finding your partner now, maybe introduce yourselves.”

 

Now was the hard part. Link had to walk over to the most popular student in the class. No big deal, right?

 

Link wobbled heavily with each step, until he fell over from shock and fear.

 

“Um, Link? I can call you that, right?”

 

Link peeled himself off the ground and looked Zelda dead in the eye, taking the time to assess her appearance. Zelda had the bluest eyes he’d ever seen, and a smile that rivaled Malon’s. He could see why people in the halls talked about her, no doubt.

 

“Uh, yeah?”

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Link realized what had happened moments prior and stood straight, alarmed.

 

“I, uh, I-”

 

“Are you nervous or something? Most of the boys I wind up in groups with are.”

 

“Understandable. You’re only one of the most popular people at school.”

 

“Listen, Link, I can see that for the most part you’re laid-back. But I only have one request.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“Don’t- and I mean don’t- leave me to do this by myself.”

 

“Funny, I was about to request the same thing.”

 

“So we’re on the same page regarding the project, then.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I’m free this evening. Why don’t you come over to my place and we can get started on research?”

 

“I’ve got ranch work for most of the afternoon. I’ll book it to your place the minute my shift’s done.”

 

“You have a job?”

 

“Surprised?”

 

“Most people at HA don’t really have jobs. Hell, most teens in Hyrule don’t.”

 

“Then call me unique.”

 

“So, this evening?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I’ll make sure to tell my father.”

 

Link stiffened.

 

“Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite. Everyone fears him because he’s mayor, but he’s a big old pushover.”

 

Zelda laughed and walked off as the bell rang. Link hoped that this would go better than most of his other group projects.

 

…

 

“Geez, does the school have a massive boner for group projects or what?” Malon asked. She’d volunteered to drive Link out to the Nohansen estate.

 

“I know, right? Just imagine if you had to do this, too.”

 

Malon took only the required three years of history while Link decided to take a fourth, thus avoiding the project.

 

“Y’know, the only group projects I’ve been a part of since seventh grade were the ones when we had the same class, and we got to pick groups,” Malon observed.

 

“Lucky you.”

 

Malon nodded. “Well, you better get goin’, Fairy Boy. Zelda ain’t gonna wait forever.”

 

She watched as Link disappeared behind the gates of the Nohansen estate before driving away.

 

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

 

“Um, hello?”

 

Standing in the doorway was a large, gray-haired man. Daphnes Nohansen, the mayor of Castle Town. He looked as if he’d just gotten back from work.

 

“I… H-Hello, Mr. Mayor-”

 

“Now, now, my boy, don’t give me the ‘Mr. Mayor’ treatment. Call me Mr. Nohansen. Link, is it not? Zelda’s waiting inside.”

 

“Alright, Mr. Nohansen.”

 

The Nohansen estate was a large place, financed by the mayor’s biotech company, Red Lions, of which he was CEO. Though his background in business meant most people feared an abuse of power by his election as mayor, such abuses did not happen. Mayor Nohansen was a philanthropist, who donated much of his fortune to charities and other causes.

 

The estate housed a large mansion, a massive pool, and a garden. Link found Zelda in her room, staring out at the stars.

 

“Hmm? Oh, hey, Link. You ready to get started?”

 

“Yeah. What landmark are we doing?”

 

“Well, I’m pretty sure most everybody’s doing Hyrule Castle, so I was thinking something like the Arbiter’s Grounds.”

 

The Arbiter’s Grounds was an ancient prison on the border of the Gerudo Desert, where ancient tribes once dwelled. Originally, it was used for housing and/or executing war criminals and plotters against the crown. But with an era of peace and the end of the monarchy centuries ago, both purposes became obsolete, and the prison was abandoned.

 

“That’s a good idea. The Great Deku Tree told me and the Kokiri stories about war criminals there.”

 

“Oh, you live with the Kokiri?”

 

“Have been for seven years, ever since the orphanage I was at closed.”

 

“Orphanage?”

 

“My father died before I was born, and my mother died when I was six.”

 

Zelda donned a look of horror on her face. “Link, I am so sorry to hear that.”

 

“It’s fine. What’s in the past is in the past. I do all my mourning in seclusion.”

 

Zelda nodded solemnly. “Well, I say we get a move on.”

 

…

 

Mr. Nohansen had been kind enough to offer to drive Link home. As Link approached Mr. Nohansen’s car, Zelda rushed up to him.

 

“This is a bit difficult to say, but… let’s exchange numbers! Just in case we need to do this again, and-”

 

“Whoa, Zelda, easy. You look a bit hyperventilated.”

 

Zelda took a deep breath. “Thanks, Link, for not making this project pure hell. Give me a call?” she smiled, passing him a note with a ten-digit number.

 

“Sure.”

 

Link told Zelda his own number and waited until she had it in her contacts list to enter the car.

 

“So, Link, I guess you’ll be around the manor more?” Mr. Nohansen asked on the trip back to Kokiri Circle.

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes, you. I don’t know any other Links around.”

 

“Maybe.”  


“Well, my daughter seems to expect you will be. And I’d hate to see her disappointed.”

 

“Sir-”

 

“What I’m saying is, you’ll always be welcome at the Nohansen estate.”

 

Link smiled as the car pulled up to Kokiri Circle. Taking his bag, Link bid the mayor goodbye and disappeared in the mass of wooden cabins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some plans regarding Zelda's role in the story. It's not set in stone, but she's not done yet. Neither are any of the other sage characters (though I will admit that Rauru and Impa, the two sages that are adults, will likely have less of a role than I'd have liked). Next chapter will put a spotlight on three of them.
> 
> Does anyone even like group projects? They're tedious, boring, and more often than not you'll get put with someone who does nothing but still gets credit.
> 
> Next chapter: Part 1 of the Homecoming arc.


	8. Excuse Me, Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Homecoming rapidly approaches, and while Link lands a date with the popular and vain Ruto, he soon finds himself to have preferred if he went alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even think my original drafts covered homecoming, to be honest. But then again, my original drafts were, to put it bluntly... bad. Like, god-awful. I swear, one day I'm gonna post a work just dedicated to summarizing how bad these old drafts were.

“I’m heading over to Darunia’s. Talk to ya later!”

 

Saria waved goodbye as Link left Kokiri Circle. The quickest way to the Eldin district was by bus, so Link kept a handful of rupees on hand for the trip.

 

Darunia’s house was carved in rock, as were most homes in Eldin, which was on the base of the Eldin Mountain Range for which the district of Castle Town was named. Knocking on the door, Link was greeted by silence, save for the sound of banging and clanging coming from the garage. Knocking on the door leading to the garage, Link looked through the peephole to find Darunia playing a drum solo.

 

Darunia looked up to find Link waiting, and rushed to open the door.

 

“Hey, little buddy!”

 

“You play the drums?”

 

“Yeah, when I’m not at school or doing wrestling.”

 

“I play an ocarina in my spare time. Between you and me we could start a band to rival the Indigo-Go’s.”

 

“I-”

 

“That was a joke, Darunia. I’m not being serious. Well, I play the ocarina, that part’s true, but not the band part.”

 

“Ah. Okay.”

 

An awkward silence ensued, followed by Darunia remembering something.

 

“My older brother’s gonna be on TV soon! You gotta see him!”

 

“Your brother?”

 

“Yeah, he’s a pro wrestler. They call him the Megaton Hammer.”

 

“I don’t watch sports.”

 

“Just humor me, little buddy!”

 

“Alright.”

 

Darunia led Link into the living room and turned on the TV. Indeed, Darunia’s brother, known as Darmani, was on.

 

“You know they stage this stuff, right?”

 

“I don’t care. My bro’s a role model for young Gorons, and me, too.”

 

“Is he why you’re on the wrestling team at HA?”

 

“Yeah. Well, actually, everyone in my family’s been on that team, so I guess I’d have been on it anyways.”

 

“I take it you admire him?”

 

“Yeah. He’s only 25, but he’s so talented that he got a contract to do this stuff when he was 20.”

 

“Do you ever feel jealous of him?”

 

“Sometimes, but not often. When I do, I remind myself that he’d want me to push myself to improve, so that one day I might become even better than him.”

 

“I don’t think I properly thanked you for helping me with Ganondorf two weeks ago.”

 

“No problem. He bothers you again, let me know.”

 

“Darunia, homecoming’s coming up in a week. I was wondering-”

 

“Sorry little buddy, but I don’t swing that way. Besides, you know as well as I do we Gorons don’t get into any romantic relationships.”

 

Gorons had their unique way of reproduction. They reproduced asexually (unlike the Kokiri, who didn’t reproduce at all), and thus no partnership was required.

 

“Wait… no, no, no! I wasn’t asking you out to homecoming! I was just gonna ask if you know any girls who need a date.”

 

“Well, you’ve got that friend, Malon.”

 

“I- I’d want to, but she can’t go. You know how her father is.”

 

“Wait, little buddy, do you _like_ her?”

 

“Me? Like Malon?”

 

Darunia nodded.

 

“Well, erm, maybe? I think so?”

 

Darunia stared slack-jawed.

 

“Little buddy, with her father, that’s suicide.”

 

“Please don’t say a word about this.”

 

“I won’t. Your secret’s safe with me.”

 

“It’s just, ever since I took that job at the ranch, I’ve felt a stronger attraction towards her.”

 

“I get it. No need to elaborate.”

 

“So, back to homecoming.”

 

“Right, you need a date. How about that Zelda girl? You worked with her on that project last week, and if you’re telling me the truth about getting a 96, then I’d say you two make a mighty fine pair. Plus, she probably doesn’t have a date.”

 

“No offense, Darunia, but you don’t know popular people very well. I’d put rupees on her having at least three regular dates, a few backup dates, and some friend-zoned guys on standby.”

 

“Hmm, how about Ruto? I overheard some Zoras mention that she dumped her last date.”

 

“If Zelda’s got backup dates, what makes you think Ruto doesn’t?”

 

“Guys are scared of her. Nobody who wanted to stay in one piece would go with her.”

 

“Wait, what’s that imply about me?!”

 

“I mean, you _do_ have a crush on a girl whose father has a shotgun loaded for suitors coming her way.”

 

“Touche. But I don’t really want to go with Ruto.”

 

“What about that Kokiri chick? Saria, wasn’t it? Take her! It doesn’t have to be anything romantic.”

 

“For a guy whose entire species reproduces asexually, you sure have a lot of advice to give.”

 

“My brother knew a guy like you. I’m just giving advice he gave the other guy.”

 

“Thanks, Darunia.”

 

“No problem… brother.”

 

“I- huh- what?”

 

“Gorons use the term ‘brother’ to describe a close friend. I can safely say you’re one now.”

 

“Right, I forgot Gorons did that. Never really had any Goron friends, y’know?”

 

“It’ll be my honor to be the first, brother.”

 

Link smiled. “I gotta go. I’ll be sure to ask Saria.”

 

Darunia waved goodbye. “And don’t worry about Malon so much! Things’ll work out between you two, I promise that!”

 

…

 

“So, I’ve got no date. And I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.”

 

Saria gave a weak smile, one that gave Link his answer before any words even came out.

 

“Link, I’m so sorry, but I won’t be going to homecoming.”

 

“Can I ask why?”

 

“Well, you know how new Kokiri are born every 10 years…”

 

“Wait, it’s only been 7 years since the last new Kokiri were born.”

 

“Yes,” Navi began to explain. “But the seeds that sprout the Kokiri are released a few years before.”

 

“Thank you Navi,” Saria bowed. “Anyways, the Deku Tree has asked me to assist some of the other Kokiri in planting them when that time comes. And it just so happens that the seeds will be released on the date of homecoming. I’m sorry, Link, I really am, I wanted to go-”

 

“It’s alright, Saria,” Link smiled. “There’s always the summer fair.”

 

“There is. Thanks for understanding, Link.”

 

Saria jumped up to give Link a hug. She ran off, and Link entered his house.

 

“Well, there goes that option.”

 

“Y’know, Link,” Navi fluttered, “You probably should find somebody else to go with. It’d be fun! You and Saria always have a good time there, why can’t you find somebody else?”

 

“Like who?”

 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask Ruto.”

 

“Yes it would. Physically and mentally, it would.”

 

“For fuck’s sake, Link, get that stick out of your ass and try!”

 

“You don’t even like her!”

 

“Just try. Please.”

 

Link sighed heavily. “If you want me to.”

 

The following Monday, a lab experiment was set up, and Link & Ruto, being lab partners, got to work.

 

What followed was something Link wasn’t sure whether to call a blessing or a curse.

 

“Hey, Link?”

 

Link turned. Ruto was talking to him.

 

“Yeah, that’s my name.”

 

“No shit. Anyways, I was thinking… homecoming’s coming up this Friday.”

 

“And?”

 

“Well, I dumped the guy I was planning on going with.”

 

“So?”

 

“Well, I can’t go alone. And desperate times call for desperate measures. So I’d like to formally ask you to homecoming.”

 

Link gawked at Ruto, confused.

 

“Me? You sure you don’t mean anyone else?”

 

“Hey, I said I was desperate! And you don’t seem to have a date.”

 

“Do it,” Navi whispered.

 

Link turned to Ruto, smiling awkwardly. “Well, I guess I can go.”

 

“Great! Now, I’m giving you this chance with me, so don’t muck it up.”

 

The bell rang and Ruto walked away. Link left for his next class.

  
“She acted as if you asked her!” Navi fumed in the hallway.

 

“Well, I was going to.”

 

“She’s so… egotistical. I think that I’m gonna regret insisting you try this.”

 

Link watched as Ruto tripped a less popular kid and laughed.

 

“I think so, too.”

 

 

…

 

“You _what_?!”

 

“Yeah, I’ve got a date. Well, not a girlfriend date, just a homecoming date.”

 

Malon stood with her mouth agape. Link had come to her with news- if Malon didn’t have a crush on him, it would have been amazing news. But alas, such was not the case, and it took all her strength for Malon not to lose it.

 

“With who?”

 

Link suddenly felt uncomfortable. How would Malon react if he said who it was?

 

“You wouldn’t like her,” he answered honestly.

 

“Well, who is it? You can’t just leave me in the dark!”

 

“It’s… Ruto.”

 

“Oh. Wait, her?! That no-good, ‘world-revolves-around-me’ condescending bitch is your date to homecoming?!”

 

“She asked me, and it was either saying yes or being gossipped about for the rest of my time at HA.”

 

“Fairy Boy, can you hear yourself?! You’re saying you’d stick with an asshole just to avoid being talked about! Goddess knows Ganondorf already does, so why try to avoid it with Ruto?”

 

“Malon. You’re being unreasonable.”

  
  
“Am I?”

 

“Yes. I’m just going to homecoming with her. Why do you even care who I go with?”

 

“I… erm… I’m just worried that something’s gonna go wrong with her. Remember her literature partner?”

 

Link shook his head out of frustration. “I’ll be fine. I can take it.”

 

Malon sighed and went to her room. Link, having finished work for the day, went back to his home to find a suitable outfit. He was going out with Ruto that afternoon, to get to know her and maybe bond with her a few hours before homecoming.

 

In her room, Malon pulled her diary, with a fresh coat of dust, out of the desk drawers and began to write.

 

_September 30, 4048_

 

_Dear Diary,_

 

_It’s been a bit since I wrote in here- maybe a month or so. Oh well, time to start up old habits again._

 

_Sometimes I wonder if my father reads this. I’ve got the only key to it in my purse, but you never know. Then again, if he read it he’d surely know about my crush on Fairy Boy, and Fairy Boy would be following the suitors in packing for home. So he’s probably never read any of it._

 

_Speaking of Fairy Boy, he’s got a date for homecoming tonight. Guess who? C’mon, just humor me. It’s not like you will- or can._

 

_Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. It’s Ruto. Fucking Ruto de Bon. Yeah, that rude, horrible Zora chick. She thinks she’s so great ‘cause her daddy’s rich. She’s nothing without her money._

 

_That was actually a bit rude myself. Kinda unlike me._

 

_Anyways, Fairy Boy’s goin’ with her. And it’s not like I was going to homecoming anyway (thanks, Dad), but I can’t help but feel a bit jealous. I mean, I’ve spent the entire time I’ve known him pining for him, and just when my feelings for him are in greater effect than they ever have been, he finds another date. If there’s one thing I’m glad about, it’s that they can’t have sex or anything. Literally. Zora don’t have sex. They lay eggs. I’d absolutely hate for Fairy Boy’s first time to be with some cold, uncaring woman who cares about her phone more than him._

 

_That does it. The minute I’m out of high school and a self-dependent adult, I’m marching up to Fairy Boy and telling him exactly how I feel._

 

_But Goddesses, that won’t make the months I have to wait while keeping that secret any less painful and tedious._

 

_Dammit! Why’s this have to be so hard?! Why’s my father gotta be some overprotective ass?!_

 

…

 

_Where is she? She said she’d be here by 4!_

 

He’d asked Ruto to meet him at Four Giants, a restaurant that served Terminian cuisine. But for unknown reasons, Ruto was a no-show, and Link was left awkwardly sitting at the table. His waitress, a young lady named Anju (who also attended HA, and was going to homecoming later that night), had asked him if he wanted any appetizers to sate his hunger while he waited, but he declined, knowing Ruto would blow a gasket if she found out he ate without her.

 

At quarter after four, at which point Navi was asleep and Link was soon to follow, Ruto, wearing a purple dress, finally showed up.

 

“Oh. There you are."

 

Link struggled to make his facial muscles form a smile. He couldn’t, really.

 

At four-thirty, the entrees arrived for the two. Link was extremely hungry, and despite his best attempts to be neat and slow, the meal went down in five minutes. In contrast, Ruto hadn’t even picked at her entree yet, instead watching memes sent by her friend on her phone and making no attempt to hide it.

 

A look of horror dawned on Link’s face. He was on a date with someone who not only failed to keep schedules, but also couldn’t be bothered to take their eyes off their phone.

 

“Um, I don’t mean to be rude, but could you drop the phone? I brought you here to eat and talk, not-”

 

“Huh? Yeah, sure. One minute.”

 

Ruto put the phone in her purse and turned to face Link.

 

“So, let’s talk. What’re you wearing to homecoming?”

 

“Well, I’ve got a spare suit at home, so probably that.”

 

“Wait, you have a home?”

 

“I- what made you think I didn’t?”

 

“I thought all orphans stayed at an orphanage.”

 

“Well, I _did_ , but now I live in Kokiri Circle.”

 

“Ugh, Kokiri bother me. This one kid, Mido, I think his name was, he once tried to ask _me_ on a date. _Me!_ He’s such a brat.”

 

This fact Link couldn’t argue with. Mido was indeed a brat.

 

“But why do you dislike Kokiri in general? One bad experience with one Kokiri isn’t a good reason.”

 

“They’re so childish.”

 

“They’re literally children!”

 

“They sound so young. Like they shouldn’t be going to HA.”

 

“They’re literally children!”

 

“Why do you bother defending them?”

 

“One of them’s a good friend of mine.”

 

“No offense, Link, but you have poor taste in friends. And I thought being friends with that Malon chick was a poor decision on your part!”

  
“What does Malon have to do with any of this?!”

 

It took all his strength for Link not to just lash out and raise his voice to the point of drawing attention.

 

“All I’m saying is you have poor taste in friends. Malon’s just an example.”

 

“How, Ruto?” Link was silently ready to flip on her.

 

“She’s a poor farmgirl.”

 

“Her family’s better off than most two-income families in Castle Town.”

 

“She’s a whore.”

 

“Her father doesn’t even let her date!”

 

“Stop trying to defend these ‘friends’!”

 

“Why should I? I care about them!”

 

“Link, listen very closely. Dating me is a full-commitment project. If you can’t devote all your attention and affection to me, then why even bother?”

 

Link was baffled. How could people even get to the point of acting like this?

 

“Do you even hear yourself speaking right now?!”

 

“Yes, I can. I don’t see a problem with what I’m saying.”

 

Link began looking for anything that could give him an out. When Ruto went over to the restroom, he signalled Anju and told her his situation.

 

“Listen. I’m on a date with a girl who doesn’t care about my life but seems to expect me to dote on her every second of every day. If you can think of any way to get me out of this without making it clear I’m done with her- because frankly, she’d kill me- please do it.”

 

“Hey, aren’t you Link?”

  
  
“Hmm?”

 

“Yeah, you are. My older brother works with you.”

  
  
“He does?”

 

“You know Grog. He says you’re the best herder on Lon Lon Ranch.”

 

“Well,” Link blushed, “as of late, I'm the only herder. But that’s not the point. I need to get out of here.”

 

“Hmm, well, I’ve got an idea. But if it’s gonna work, you’re gonna need to go _now_.”

 

Link got up and began to leave. He left an orange rupee on the table to pay.

 

“Um, the bill’s only 75 rupees, counting both meals,” Anju began.

 

“The rest’s your tip,” Link smiled.

 

Link quickly left the restaurant. Ruto walked back to find Anju waiting at her now-empty table.

 

“Where the hell is my boyfriend?!”

 

“He received a call saying he had to go to work immediately,” Anju lied.

 

“He told me his shift was done!!”

 

“Listen, Ruto. My brother works at that ranch, and he says that if you’re called in when it’s not your shift, it’s an emergency. So he had to go.”

 

Ruto stared at Anju, dead in the eyes. She had an inkling of doubt in her.

 

As Link walked through the parking lot, he suddenly slowed down. He could hear Ruto demanding that Anju go and find Link, that she wanted to have a good time with him, that it wasn’t fair she was left alone.

 

“Don’t tell me you feel bad for her now!” Navi yelled.

 

“No. I was just thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

“It’s funny. She didn’t give a shit about me until I left her alone.”

 

“Well, in life, sometimes we don’t know how much we need something until we lose it.”

 

“The suit seems good,” Link said. “So we’ll be going to homecoming in this-”

 

“Link. Listen to me.”

 

Link turned to face Navi- not directly, to avoid blinding, but close enough.

 

“You cannot go with that girl to homecoming. At all. Don’t even think about it. She’s rude, careless, and only likes you for what you can possibly do for her. She hates everything else about you- including your friends.”

 

“Then how am I gonna break it to her?”

 

“Break what to who?”

 

Ruto was now storming out of the restaurant, and was inches from Link’s face.

 

“You don’t seem to be going to the ranch.”

 

“Ruto, we haven’t even left the parking lot.”

 

“Well? Break what to who, Link?!”

 

Link gulped. Though Anju would get an earful from Ruto for lying, he didn’t care. He needed to get away from Ruto soon.

 

“You and me are not gonna work out. If I go to homecoming tonight, it’s not with you.”

 

Ruto stood and stared at Link, dumbfounded. Then her confusion turned into anger. “What?! But you can’t say that! And I can’t go alone! I won’t get elected homecoming queen if I go alone!”

 

“Find someone else to go with. But I can’t do this.”

 

Link walked away.

 

“Link! Get back here!” Ruto yelled, not even moving from the parking lot.

 

Link ignored her and sped up. A mixture of anger and sadness washed over Ruto as she slumped to the ground. Mustering her remaining strength, she yelled out one last time.

 

“Link!!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In contrast to Darunia, Ruto's probably the sage whose character arc remains the most unchanged across all drafts, with minor changes here and there.
> 
> It wasn't until rereading this chapter to mark it for publication that I realized how fitting it was that Anju worked in a place centered around Termina. That was entirely coincidental, and I just needed a way to acquaint her and Link. Anju being Grog's sister is a reference to OoT, where the two (known as the Cucco Lady and Master Craftsman's Son in that game, only being named in MM) are in fact siblings. No relation in MM, though.
> 
> Next chapter we'll go back to focus on Malon for a bit- for a story that's mostly about her and Link, she's been kind of a minor character in the past few chapters. But then again, most of the problems with my original drafts were that I shunned giving the sages more characterization and depth in favor of developing the Malink part of the story, so maybe that's a good thing.


	9. A Farm Girl's Lament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malon grows more worried for her future as Talon grows more desperate to find her a husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is. Part 2 of the Homecoming arc is here, and with it comes a change of perspective. It's been a bit since a chapter primarily focused on Malon.

“Malon? Sweetie?”

 

“Yeah, Pa?”

 

“Are ye alright? You’ve been sulkin’ around for the past hour an’ a half.”

 

How was Malon to respond to that? While everyone around her was going to homecoming- including Link, it seemed- she was stuck at home, mostly because her father would brain anyone who tried to take her. She wanted to have a good time, and now she was bored out of her mind.

 

“Just bored, mostly.”

 

“Then brush the horses er somethin’.”

 

“You seem a bit… on edge, Dad.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve jes’ been thinkin’.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Yer almost 18, an’ I don’t have anyone in mind for who I want ye to marry.”

 

“Well, you  _ could _ just let me choose for myself.”

 

“Now, miss, it’s been tradition in the Lon family for the father to arrange his child’s marriage ever since yer great-great-grandparents built this ranch and cultivated its land, and probably since long before then. Your great-great-grandfather did so for his four children, your great-grandfather did so for his two children, your grandfather did so for me, and I’m doing so for you.”

 

“But-”

 

“This is not up for discussion!”

 

“Dad, at school I’m seen as a loser! People talk about me behind my back, an’ it’s ‘cause you won’t let me date!”

 

“You act like I chase away every boy you see!”

 

“You do!”

 

“Not true. Link’s still around, ain’t he?”

 

“How long before you change that?!”

 

The ranch grew silent. Cuccos stopped crowing, dogs stopped barking, and even Ingo’s nighttime antics came to a crawl.

 

“Do you want everyone in rural Castle Town to hear us?” Talon asked sternly.

 

“Answer me, Dad! How long?”

 

“…”

 

“Forget it. I’m goin’ to Kokiri Circle.”

 

“At half after seven? I swear, if you’re going to see Link, then my answer to your earlier question’s gonna be ‘very soon’.”

 

“He’s off at homecoming, Dad. I just need a break from your crap.”

 

“Fine, I’ll have Ingo drive ye there.”

 

“I can drive myself.”

 

Malon walked out the front door and slammed it shut. As he heard the truck driving away, Talon went upstairs to his room and grabbed a small, framed photo. The photo was taken shortly after Talon’s wedding, and featured Talon, much younger and with much more hair on top, posing with his new wife, a beautiful, physically imposing Gerudo lady. His wife’s family owned a cucco farm next to the Lon Lon Ranch, and her marriage to Talon was the reason the Lon Lon Ranch had cuccos today- when they were wed, their lands were combined into a singular ranch.

 

As he looked at the photo, Talon felt a mixture of sadness and confusion.

 

“Sometimes, I wonder what you’d be saying about me or our daughter. I wonder if I’m raising her right. I mean, Goddesses, I try the best I can with her! Why’s it have to be so hard?!”

 

…

 

A red truck pulled into Kokiri Circle. Since none of the Kokiri had vehicles, there was no parking area. But in rural Castle Town, parking on the grass was far from uncommon.

 

Off in a fenced area, Malon spotted several Kokiri planting seeds. And among them was someone she recognized.

 

“Hey! Saria!”

 

“Hmm? Oh, it’s you, Malon.”

 

Saria rushed over to Malon, hands covered in soil.

 

“What brings you here this late? If you want to talk to Link, he’s not here. He’s-”

 

“I know, I know, he’s at homecoming.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I just wanted to come here to relax a bit. My father’s being a dick again.”

 

“How?”

 

“He’s complainin’ that I’m almost 18 and he hasn’t found anyone to wed me to.”

 

“Arranged marriages are a thing in Castle Town?”

 

“Yeah, pretty much.”

 

“Well, what happens when he finds somebody?”

 

“He’s gonna hold a ceremony on the ranch and hire a priest or somebody to do the ceremony and then I’m gonna be pawned off to my new husband.”

 

“Is this even legal?”

 

“Apparently, since most of my family up to my great-great-grandparents have gone through the same thing.”

 

“Um, I’ve gotta get back to work.”

 

“What’re you doing?”

 

“Planting the seeds that sprout new Kokiri. If we do it right, then they sprout in a few years.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Saria took a close look at Malon. “Hey, why don’t you rest in my cabin for a good while? I mean, you probably can’t stay the night since, well, your father and all, but you look absolutely tired.”

 

“Alright.”

 

It took no time at all for Malon to fall asleep. She had several dreams that night. But whereas Link’s dreams were mostly nightmares, Malon’s were mostly about her future. She had several visions about what her life could become- not prophetic visions, just what-ifs.

 

One of these dreams had her father failing to find anyone to marry his daughter. Malon left for college and, shortly after her first day, she asked Link to show up at her dorm, and she confessed her feelings for him. He embraced her, took her in his arms, and they would live happily, not worrying about her father’s opinions.

 

Another dream that night had a similar scenario, except Link did not reciprocate her feelings. Malon was left alone in her dorm, crying silently. She’d estranged herself from her best friend forever with one false move.

 

Yet another dream had her father find somebody to marry Malon. This somebody was a blend of every non-contradictory stereotype about farmers as was humanly possible. Their children would grow up much the same, and Malon was absolutely miserable.

 

Though none of these scenarios were real whatsoever, Malon seemed to react as if they were. Because when she woke up, she was already sitting up, and Saria was nearby, evidently freaked out.

 

“What did I say or do?” Malon asked, horrified.

 

“As I was walking in, you just started flailing your arms and wailing uncontrollably. You seemed very upset.”

 

“Bad dream. What time is it?”

 

“Quarter after ten. Homecoming’s just about over.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“And someone wants to see you.”

 

Expecting her father on the other end of the door, Malon was instead greeted by a different face. It was Link. Wearing a green tux (not the black one she last saw him with), he seemed exhausted. Navi was fluttering above him, just as tired.

 

“Long night?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What’re you doing here early? Homecoming’s not over until ten-thirty.”

 

“I left early.”

 

“Things not go well with Ruto?”

 

“I didn’t go with Ruto.”

 

“Wait… you  _ didn’t? _ ”

 

Saria seemed just as shocked.

 

“It’s a long story.”

 

Malon flashed a grin and giggled. “Well, Fairy Boy, I’m in no hurry to get home and Saria ain’t going nowhere. So why don’t you tell us?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I've seen a single fic where Malon's mother wasn't at least partially Gerudo- it's probably the most popular fan-theory about her, even more than the one about Malon being who the Hero of Time ends up with in the Child Timeline.
> 
> Next time, we find out what Link was up to during most of this chapter.


	10. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When describing his night to his friends, Link reveals that while his plans with Ruto fell through, he ultimately did not go to homecoming alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, for once I'm at a loss for words. Just enjoy this chapter, I guess...

The time was 7:30. Link was left alone, save for Navi. He was pretty much stranded in downtown Castle Town, since he had no transportation.

 

“Well, that could have gone better,” Link said. “That date was absolutely disastrous.”

 

“Definitely,” Navi agreed.

 

A car drove past at a speed Link wasn’t sure was legal in any part of the world. He briefly saw Ganondorf, laughing and cheering.

 

“He seems happy,” Link noted.

 

“Well, he  _ is _ playing in only the biggest event at school so far. He probably thinks he’s got it in the bag.”

 

Missing the homecoming dance was no issue for Ganondorf- though Nabooru insisted they go once, he would never forgive her if he missed a game.

 

“That team needs me, babe! I can’t just ditch them and miss out on my moment of glory!” he once justified his adamancy with.

 

The streets were mostly empty at this time of night. Link didn’t feel bad for leaving Ruto, but he needed to find a ride home. He briefly considered calling Malon to pick him up- until he saw a familiar figure under a streetlight.

  
“Zelda?”

 

“Oh, hey, Link.”

 

“Are you… alone?” Link asked in shock. “I thought you’d be at homecoming.”

 

“Yeah. My backup dates cancelled, all with other things to do.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Why are you wearing a suit?”

 

“I was gonna go to homecoming, but my date’s a bitch and so I kinda cancelled.”

 

“That’s not a nice thing to say ab-”

 

“It was Ruto.”

 

“Oh. Nevermind, then.”

 

An idea rapidly formulated in Zelda’s mind, and Link soon had the same thought.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Would you like to…?”

 

“Go to homecoming with me?” the two finished their sentences simultaneously. A brief moment of shock settled upon the two, not expecting the other to have asked the exact same thing to each other.

 

“Um…”

 

“I guess that settles that,” Link said meekly.

 

“Alrighty, then! I’ll take you to my place, get you cleaned up, and then we’ll go.”

 

“Sounds good to me.”

 

Homecoming wasn’t exactly going the way Link expected it to, but sometimes surprises are better than what is planned.

 

…

 

The gates of the Nohansen estate opened as servants escorted Link and Zelda to the front gate. Already the contrast between Link’s first and second visits was clear. Mr. Nohansen seemed to view Link as a more welcome visitor now.

 

“So, you are to be taking my daughter to homecoming?”

 

“Yeah, pretty much.”

 

“Well then, you will need a ride. And who better than the mayor to get you there?”

 

“Thanks, sir.”

 

“Oh! Let’s take some pictures, Link!” Zelda called out, walking from her room in a purple dress.

 

Link had to say this about Zelda- she was certainly enthusiastic about going with him.

 

“Wow, you look… absolutely amazing.”

 

Zelda smiled, as did her father. “A natural gentleman,” Mr. Nohansen boomed. “Always good to meet one.”

 

Many pictures were taken that day. At quarter to 8, Mr. Nohansen beckoned for Link and Zelda to enter the car.

 

“Well, we ought to get going. Homecoming won’t last forever.”

 

The drive wasn’t all that long. The Nohansen estate, being in the heart of Castle Town, lay within Lanayru and was thus under a fifteen minute drive.

 

“Looking sharp, my boy,” Mr. Nohansen complimented Link. He had given Link a new tux to wear, a green suit that would make everyone else jealous. Though his specialty was biotech and politics, Link had to admit Mr. Nohansen knew his fashion.

 

“Niko, open the doors. We’re here.”

 

A servant of the Nohansens responded and opened the doors to the limousine. Eyes were locked onto Link and Zelda, at least, the ones who hadn’t gone in for the dance or game yet. Link swore it was like a movie set, where celebrities walked the red carpet after leaving their vehicle.

 

_ Is this what being popular is like? _ Link asked himself.

 

Hyrule Academy was packed with hundreds of students. Many of them were heading to the football stadium to watch Ganondorf lead the Hyrule Academy Boars against the Eldin High Dodongos. As Link and Zelda walked through the halls to the gymnasium, more students stopped and stared.

 

“Whoa, is that Zelda?”

 

“Who’s the lucky guy with her?”

 

“I swore I saw that guy with Ruto earlier today.”

 

Link and Zelda ignored the chatter about them and arrived at the gymnasium. Lights and amps were set up all around, and onstage were the Indigo-Go’s. Homecoming seemed to have been underway for a bit, as people were already dancing and music was already playing. Navi had decided to leave Link to his own devices during homecoming, and was asleep in his tux pocket.

 

“Wait, Zelda, I don’t know how to dance.”

 

Zelda gave Link a playfully puzzled look. “You’ve gone to homecoming the past few years, have you not?”

 

“Yeah, but-”

 

“C’mon, I’ll help lead you.”

 

Things started mostly slow as the Indigo-Go’s played their biggest hit, New Wave Bossa Nova. However, as more songs were played, Link gradually got the hang of things, to the point that he even led Zelda on a couple of occasions.

 

At roughly ten-o-clock, homecoming king and queen were to be announced. The dance would last another half-hour after that. Much to Link’s shock, Zelda was not one of the nominees for homecoming queen.

 

“Well, I kinda won last year.”

 

“Yeah, but still-”

 

“When people ask, I just snark and say I willingly refused to be nominated to give the other girls a chance.”

 

Link couldn’t help but laugh at that one.

 

“Y’know, Zelda, the main difference between you and Ruto is that you’re only saying these things as a joke. That’s something I can get behind.”

 

“I’ve heard the same thing before. Glad to see it wasn’t just flattery. Unless…”

 

“Oh, no. You can ask Nabooru- I’m no good at flattery.”

 

“Why Nabooru?”

 

“She’s my ex.”

 

“Lemme guess- she cheated on you with Ganondorf?”

 

“Yeah- wait, how’d you know that?”

 

“Oh, you’ll never believe this.”

 

“Just tell me.”

 

“Midway through sophomore year, me and Ganondorf started… seeing each other. Just dating. Then I discovered I was just some girl he was seeing on the side, that he was already dating Nabooru, and that ended things.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“I know, right?”

 

“So, guess we both have common ground to hate the two on.”

 

“Yeah. Hey, let’s head out to the courtyard. I need a breath of fresh air.”

 

The courtyard was completely empty. Shortly after going out there, both Link and Zelda went home. When Malon asked why they both left early, Link claimed they were both just tired. For the most part, this was true. But there was more that Link left out, more that followed during the two’s time in the courtyard that Link didn’t say a word of when repeating his tale to Malon:

 

“Y’know, Link, this past month knowing you… it’s been fun.”

 

“Yeah, it has been.”

 

“I’m glad t-that, of… of everyone I’ve met, it was you I went to homecoming with. I’ve had a good time. You’ve certainly learned how to dance, and I think you’re the best dancer of anyone I’ve g-gone to homecoming with.”

 

Zelda quickly grew visibly nervous, and Link took notice.

 

“Are you alright, Zelda?”

 

“I-I’m alright, I just…”

 

“Just… what?”

 

“Link, in case things don’t end well, forgive me.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For what I’m about to do.”

 

Before Link could react, Zelda used her left hand to grab Link’s hand. Using her right, she held the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss.

  
Link didn’t know what to think, except that it felt… good. Certainly better than any time he and Nabooru kissed while dating, and that was even when leaving out his personal bias against her.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, Zelda pulled away, leaving only Link’s star-struck face.

 

“Well. That was…”

 

“Um… I’m sorry! I should’ve asked first.”

 

“No, no, it was fine. I enjoyed it.”

 

“Wait, really?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then… do you want to do it again?”

 

“Zelda, wait. It’s just…”

 

“What?”

 

“Zelda, you’ve been a fun person to hang out with. And I’ve had fun here so far. But…”

 

It took all of Link’s courage to spit out what he wanted to.

 

“I don’t think I like you in that way."

 

“Oh.”

  
  
“Don’t take it the wrong way, I’d still like to be friends and all. It’s just, I have eyes for somebody else.”

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, who is it?”

 

“Well, I hang out with this girl named Malon…”

 

“Redhead? Father won’t let her date?”

 

“Yeah, that Malon.”

 

Zelda nodded. “I’ll be rooting for you two. Hope everything works out.”

 

“Thanks. I just hope she’s doing fine right now. She seemed kind of pissed that I was originally going with Ruto.”

 

“Well, where is she now?”

 

“She’s off at home.”

 

“Link… if you care about her, then you’ll go to see her."

 

“Like, right now?!”

 

“Yeah. You like her, so don’t pass up any opportunity to spend time with her. That’s what you should have done instead of coming here. It wouldn’t have killed me to go alone.”

 

“But I can’t just leave you here!”

 

“I was actually gonna head home, too. Homecoming always declines in entertainment following the announcing of the king and queen. I’ll get my father to give you a ride back home. No use leaving you stranded like you were before.”

 

“Still friends?”

 

“Still friends. But for now, you need to see an old friend. You don’t need to confess your feelings to her or the like, but at least spend time with her.”

 

The drive home was filled with less chatter. Mr. Nohansen dropped Link off at Kokiri Circle, with Zelda hugging Link goodbye, where Link saw Saria.

 

“Hey!” Link called out to her.

 

“Hey!”   
  


“What’re you doing?”

  
  
“I was gonna check on Malon,” Saria answered.

 

“Wait, Malon’s here? I thought she’d be at the ranch.”

 

“She needed a break from her father. I’ll take you to her.”

 

…

 

As Link finished recounting his story, Malon got up.

 

“Just wanted to check on you,” Link said.

 

“Thanks. I think I’m good to go home now. I’ve gotten enough of a break.”

 

“Zelda says hi.”

 

Malon smiled. In her own bed that night, Malon dreamed once more of Link, this time with her in his embrace yet again.

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of Castle Town, Mr. Nohansen checked up on his daughter, now in bed herself.

 

“Have a good time with Link?”

  
“Yeah.”

 

“Shame that you two aren’t going to become a pair. I thought he would be a perfect addition to the family.”

 

“Yeah, I have to agree.”

 

“…Did you at least get a kiss out of him? Link, I mean.”   
  


“You bet I did!”

 

“That’s my Zelda!”

 

Shortly after her father left the room, Zelda whipped out her phone and sent a message to Link.

 

_ Z: How’d things go with Malon? Spend time with her like I told you to? _

 

_ L: Yeah. I told her about what I did tonight. _

 

_ Z: Wait, does that mean she knows about the kiss in the courtyard? Or your crush on her? _

 

_ L: No, I left both of those parts out of the story. I just said we were both tired and left. _

 

_ Z: I hope you’ve learned something from this- if you have an opportunity to see her uncontested, then take it. _

 

_ L: I get it. It’s only… I can’t say a word about my feelings or her father’s gonna run me out of Castle Town with one in the barrel. _

 

_ Z: Then bide your time, I guess. I get why it’s so stressful. Really, I do. Can’t be easy keeping it secret when you see her every day. _

 

_ L: It’s not. _

 

_ Z: If you ever need to talk about it, I’ll be there. _

 

_ L: Thanks. Good night. _

 

_ Z: Night. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as the tags promised, there is indeed Zelink within this story.
> 
> Zelda's had a crush on Link ever since the first day of school (hinted at when Link briefly saw her smiling at him). Her father's the polar opposite of Talon in every way: city-born and bred, few restrictions on who his daughter dates, and overall easygoing (not lazy, though) when he's not serving his mayoral duties.
> 
> But though the Homecoming arc is done, Ruto's far from being through with Link...


	11. Want You Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of homecoming, Link has yet another encounter with Ganondorf. Meanwhile, Ruto seeks to make amends with Link, but what was initially a welcome surprise turns sour when she refuses to drop her affections despite Link's lack of interest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter probably went through the most rewrites out of any. I originally planned for Ruto to appear in it more, but I couldn't write a way to have that and have the story flow well at the same time.
> 
> Then again, for all I know the story doesn't flow well anyway.

“…And on the topic of homecoming, quarterback and team captain Ganondorf Dragmire led the HA Boars to an astounding 28-3 victory against the Eldin High Dodongos.”

 

Link sighed. Everybody at school seemed to be talking about one of two things- one, how pissed Ruto was that her date ditched her. Link was lucky that nobody seemed to know he was the date they were talking about. Maybe Ruto just never bothered to remember or mention him.

 

Second on the radar was how Ganondorf had led HA to an uncontested record-smashing win, reported on by the school’s news program. There was nothing more bothersome than hearing nothing except praise for the guy Link hated most of all. So while everyone was celebrating Ganondorf, Link couldn’t care less about him. And that bit him in the ass as he was leaving calculus class.

 

“Yo, Forrester!”

 

Link sighed. Ganondorf. Of course he had to see him in the hallway.

 

“What now?”

 

“I don’t hear you cheering, Forrester!” Ganondorf rushed over to Link, grabbing him by the collar.

 

“I didn’t realize you were something to celebrate over.”

 

“Bastard.”

 

Ganondorf dumped Link into the garbage can, making sure to chug his energy drink before throwing it in after Link.

 

If there was one thing Darunia was good at, it was intimidation. Ever since he threatened Ganondorf, Link and Saria were left alone in fourth period. But that meant Ganondorf simply got his licks in at other points.

 

“Well, at least he was courteous enough to drink the contents before throwing the can on you,” Navi tried to be optimistic as Link pulled a milk carton out of his jacket pocket. Link had spent most of the beginning of literature class removing trash that he found on him.

 

“That said, you still smell like shit.”

 

Unfortunately for Link, someone from the week prior wasn’t so courteous as to drink their carton of milk before dumping it in the trash.

 

“Can’t be nearly as bad as Ganondorf right after gym class, though. You could smell him from a mile off in most cases.”

 

“Link! Stop talking to that fairy of yours and pay attention!”

 

Students giggled as Miss Funday snapped at Link. If there was one thing Link was grateful for, it was that Navi’s presence wasn’t a secret he needed to keep. Otherwise, he’d probably be seen by most people as insane for talking to what they assumed to be thin air.

 

Compared to most months of the year, there wasn’t much to celebrate at HA during October. It was just one of those boring stretches that took up a lot of time. Besides, October 7th was the anniversary of when Link and Nabooru became an item. And there was nothing Link wanted to forget more than the months he spent with that lady. So October just opened up wounds that weren’t fully healed.

 

Whenever Zelda walked by, she seemed to wave at Link. Despite their talk at the end of homecoming and the way things went, there wasn’t a reason they couldn’t be friends.

 

“What’re you doing waving at that nobody?” one of Zelda’s friends asked her.

 

“He’s a friend of mine. And we went to homecoming together, so I’d be quiet before you call him a nobody again.”

 

Zelda was quite intimidating close up. Her friend made the wise decision to shut up about Link, and moved on to talk about her new boyfriend in great detail.

 

“Oh, and did I mention he’s the first Gerudo male in a hundred years?”

 

“Wait… what?!”

 

Ganondorf was a known cheater around HA. The main proof of this was the time he slept with just about every member of the cheerleading team at once in his junior year. It was a wonder Nabooru stayed with him, though Zelda was convinced she had no idea of Ganondorf’s lechery. Then again, how someone remained unaware of something so apparent was a mystery. It took no time at all for Zelda to find out during her brief fling with Ganondorf, and she didn’t exactly spend her time looking for clues.

 

“You know Ganondorf already has a girlfriend, right?”

 

“He promised to break up with her, don’t worry.”

 

“He said that with me when I dated him. He lied.”

 

“You’re just jealous.”

 

_Please,_ Zelda thought. _You couldn’t pay me to get back together with Ganondorf._

 

…

 

The delivery truck rode off with a fresh supply of milk and eggs, Talon waving it off. Ingo led the horses back into the stables as Link and Epona rounded up the cows to the barn. Cuccos waddled back into the coop at Grog’s beckoning, and dogs that once raced around the track were led back indoors by Mamamu Yan.

 

“I’d say Epona listens to you better than she does to me!” Malon watched in amazement as Link dismounted. Link and Epona’s teamwork was something Malon admired about her Fairy Boy. Not even the Juggler twins were able to compare in terms of output, and they were a two-man team. Talon seemed to think the same- within only a quarter of a year, Link had been given three raises from what was initially the minimum wage of 8 rupees per hour.

 

Malon began to take longer breaks from brushing the horses to watch Link work, and within a matter of weeks both Grog and Mamamu Yan had figured out her crush on Link. However, they kept silent so as to spare the boy from Talon’s wrath.

 

“I’d say it’s a good thing Ingo doesn’t know,” Mamamu Yan commented to Grog during their break. “He’d rat to Talon immediately, and Talon learning that Malon has a crush on a boy is just as dangerous as him learning a boy has a crush on her.”

 

“Yeah, but I mostly feel bad for the girl,” Grog replied. “I know what it’s like to love without your feelings unable to be requited.”

 

Unbeknownst to them, Link did in fact return Malon’s affections. But he hid them well enough such that no one on the ranch suspected anything.

 

At dinner time, Link sat in between Malon and Ingo as Talon talked about the goings of the ranch, and how things were going well.

 

“Oh, and I’ve got some news regardin’ my daughter’s hand in marriage.”

 

Malon nearly choked on a piece of cucco leg. Link tried to keep down his glass of milk. The ranch grew silent, save for the occasional horse whinny. For all intents and purposes, nobody expected anything regarding this.

 

“I’ve finally found him…”

 

“You have?” Malon faked a smile, but everyone saw through it.

 

Link just sat there in confusion, wondering who he had possibly found. It could be literally any male landowner or prospective landowner in the rural part of Castle Town that Talon had his eye on.

 

“Yeah, I’ve finally found the one to do the ceremony ‘n all. Turns out Mr. de Bon has a license fer that stuff. An’ he owed me one of them favors from back when we was in college, so I cashed it in.”

 

“Why’d you find the pastor to perform the ceremony if you don’t even have the person I’ll marry?” Malon asked hopefully, worrying that her father had in fact found someone to marry her to and fully expecting him to correct her.

 

But he hadn’t, and he didn’t.

  
“Well, I’m just planning’ things out in advance.”

 

“Oh, okay,” Malon smiled, much more genuine this time.

 

Later that evening, Link rested on the fence, taking a swig of Lon Lon Milk. Malon walked up and perched next to him.

 

“I can only hope I go off t’ college ‘fore he finds somebody,” she sighed.

 

“Yeah. I can’t imagine you having to get married, like, three days after graduating.”

 

“I’m tempted to run away, I just can’t do this anymore.”

 

“I’d stick it out until things seem unavoidable. Never know when things might go your way.”

 

“Never know _if_ they might, either.”

 

A figure slowly emerged from the horizon, walking down the road. When the figure got close enough for Link to identify who it was, he began to panic.

 

“What’s wrong, Fairy Boy?”

 

Link hopped off the fence and tried to run. But the figure noticed.

 

“Link! Don’t just think you can weasel your way out of this!!”

 

Link did, in fact, think he could. And as Navi would later say, he was stupid for thinking so. Because why would Ruto just let Link go after he left her prior to homecoming and went out with another girl?

 

Worse yet, Ruto was under the impression that Link dumped her just so he could go with someone else.

 

“I can’t believe you! You left me at that awful restaurant!”

 

“The restaurant was your suggestion in the first place!”

 

“You left me to go with that bimbo Zelda!”

 

“I was actually headed home after our date! Zelda just happened to be going alone.”

 

Ruto sighed, and looked at Link with pleading eyes.

 

“Look, Link, I’m sorry about what happened last Friday. I really am.”

 

Link stared in shock. Ruto was… apologizing. It couldn’t be- there had to be some stipulation or catch to it.

 

But the apology was genuine. Ruto was genuinely sorry.

 

“Alright, Ruto, I accept your apology.”

 

That said, Link would’ve been a lot happier if what happened next was only a bad dream.

 

Ruto smiled, sharp teeth shining in the background of the setting sun.

 

“Great! Now can we please make up and try again?”

 

“…Try again?”

 

“Yeah. I really, really, want to try and make things work between us.”

 

“Ruto, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in pursuing a relationship with you. I’m really not.”

 

“But-”

 

Now was Malon’s turn to butt in. “He’s clearly not into you, Ruto. An’ I’d be gettin’ outta here soon, else I’m gonna call the cops on you for trespassin’ on my pa’s land.”

 

“Who asked you?!” Ruto yelled, now furious.

 

“Ugh, forget it. C’mon Fairy Boy, let’s go-”

 

“Fairy Boy? _Fairy Boy?!_ ”

 

“It’s just a nickname-”

 

“Only I’m allowed to give you affectionate nicknames like that!”

 

“You haven’t even bothered to once-”

 

“You can’t just stick around with this whore-”

 

“Ruto, calm down and get out of here. I’m not interested in going out with you, so stop trying to convince me otherwise.”

 

Ruto seemed to be listening. But as she left, she made one final declaration.

 

“Trust me, Link! One day I will return, and when I do, you’ll be mine, no matter how much you may protest at first!”

 

“I’m pretty sure that’d constitute sexual harassment,” Navi commented when Ruto was out of earshot and sight.

 

“Wouldn’t that be ironic. Falsely accuses people of doing it to her yet is willing to do it herself,” Link sighed.

 

“Also odd how she went from pissed at you to head over heels.”

 

“Why do I always get the awful ones?”

 

“Well, Zelda wasn’t awful.”

 

“True.”

 

“Well, Fairy Boy,” Malon called out from the field, “I’m not sure what the fuck just happened, I’m not sure I want to know what the fuck just happened, and I say we get back to my father.”

 

“Can you believe I almost went to homecoming with Ruto?”

 

“I’ll try to forget.”

 

Returning to the house, Link fell asleep on the couch. Malon stood on the staircase, watching him.

 

_It’s so tempting,_ she thought. _I could just walk over, bend down and kiss him. But then again, Navi’s probably awake, and there’s no way she wouldn’t tell Fairy Boy._

 

Deciding against the prospect, Malon walked upstairs to her room, leaving her opportunity untaken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, Link has poor luck with the ladies. His first-ever (and so far only) girlfriend cheats on him, then his former date to homecoming goes from obnoxiously rude to obnoxiously lovey-dovey, and then his crush has a father who'd run him out of Castle Town if he ever acted on his feelings.


	12. Life in Hyrule Castle Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief summary of the history of Hyrule as told by a play at Hyrule Academy, but without any of the unnecessary pomp or singing that HA plays have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've always wanted to do a chapter where Hyrule's history is explained in a world where the stories told in the games are just that: stories. I was originally going to do this as one of the first chapters (yadda yadda world building), but figured I'd save it for after I introduced the cast. To put it in layman's terms: if Hyrule were a country in the real world, this is what I'd imagine its history would look like (non-human species and magic stuff excluded).

Every year, during the first week of November, the seniors at Castle Town are to perform a play detailing the history of Hyrule, Hyrule Castle Town, and the lives of the people there. But the plays are usually of… well, less-than-stellar quality. This is likely in part due to the lack of most students participating in the drama club, which would guarantee them a role in the play (as well as the skills needed to pull it off), instead forcing the school to take in students who couldn’t care less. So naturally, the course of action would be to tell the story of Castle Town without the melodramatic pompousness of an academy play, beginning with the most important part: the beginning.

 

_~Founding of Hyrule, Year 0~_

 

“Lord Harkinian, we’ve reached it. We’ve spotted land not ten knots from here!”

 

“At long last. The people of Skyloft will hail us as heroes. Our names will be carved in history for the rest of time.”

 

Lord Gustaf Harkinian, an aristocrat from the mountainous nation of Skyloft, so named for being so high up it touched the clouds, would be right. The land he and his crew set out to discover was one blessed by the Goddesses. With verdant fields so prosperous a town could thrive two hundred years starting from just a few seeds, a massive river to nourish its people, a land to start anew.

 

“Send word to the queen. She must know of our discovery.”

 

With the queen’s permission, several Skyloftian citizens immigrated to this new land, which was named Hyrule. And Gustaf Harkinian, indeed heralded as a hero for his findings, became its first king.

 

“Citizens of Skyl- no, my humblest apologies- citizens of Hyrule! I address you now not as Lord Gustaf Harkinian, but as King Gustaf Harkinian Hyrule. Together, with me as your leader, we shall build a new nation! This nation will rise to glory and wealth! All around the globe will know our names! And we shall mark a new era- a new beginning- one where the people prosper more than ever!”

 

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Gustaf looked on proudly. This was his kingdom, his masterpiece to build from the ground up.

 

“With my first decree as king, a massive town shall be built surrounding the castle where the royal family will live. This town, Hyrule Castle Town, will be massive. Four districts will mark the town- two for the common farmers and ordinary citizens, one for the richer citizens, and one for business and commerce. May Hyrule live long and prosper!”

 

These four districts would still exist in Castle Town today- Faron & Ordona were once the homes of the common folk, and a part of this remains as the two districts are still rooted in agriculture. Eldin was once the land of aristocrats and the rich nobles, whereas nowadays it is the home of the middle class, the suburban area of Castle Town. Lanayru was- and is still- the location of business centers and commercial enterprise, with urban high-rises and skyscrapers now marking the land.

 

Gustaf returned to Skyloft only once, to find a wife. Despite all his riches, he had never bothered to seek out anyone to marry. But if he was to have an heir, he was to have a wife. And on his return trip, he found her. Named Zelda, she and Gustaf wed shortly after he took her to Hyrule, and the two had five children.

 

Indeed, many nations heard of Hyrule. As Gustaf neared old age, he watched as numerous races began to divide the land he ruled- Gorons, Zora, Sheikah, Gerudo, and Hylians alike. The bird-like Rito lived in the nation of Hebra nearby; they chose not to immigrate, but remained valuable trading partners.

 

Around this time, a tree grew in the Faron district of Castle Town. It was the king’s eldest son who discovered it was capable of speech, and when he discovered that the tree’s seeds became human-like upon sprouting, he alerted Gustaf.

 

Dubbing these offspring the Kokiri (and observing their odd habit of not aging past the point of children) and their forefather the Great Deku Tree, Gustaf welcomed them- and every other race that immigrated into his kingdom- with unwavering kindness and a desire for peace. Around this point, fairies were discovered to exist in Hyrule- though they were common in Skyloft, nobody was sure if they were in the new land as well.

 

Gustaf would die at the age of eighty-three, his life’s work having changed the course of history forever. His queen had already passed four years earlier.

 

Link would say that all this was easy enough to remember when Headmaster Rauru required every student in HA to watch the senior play every single year. They didn’t even change it up to give repeat viewers a reason to care. At the end was a handwritten quiz about the contents of the play, but by sophomore year Link, Saria, and Malon had developed a strategy- by saving old quizzes about the play, they could study off of that and pass without having to pay attention to the current play. It was foolproof. How none of the higher-ups at HA figured out the students could cheese the quiz was beyond even Navi.

 

During their group project, Zelda showed Link results of DNA testing that showed Zelda was a descendant of the Hyrulean Royal Family on her father’s side. Link thought it eerily fitting that someone descended from the royal family would later run Castle Town as its mayor. And considering Zelda’s name, the connection became even more clear.

 

Hyrule’s creation would mark ‘Year 0’ on the calendar system. When someone after its creation would say the year, they were really saying the years since Hyrule’s creation. This system was used in every nation created after Hyrule, including the neighboring Termina.

 

One thousand years prior to Link’s birth, an event known as the Great Flood struck Hyrule. Its consequences were far-reaching, and it marked the beginning of an era of decline within the kingdom of Hyrule.

 

_~Aftermath of the Great Flood, Year 3037~_

 

Horns sounded as King Daltus Harkinian Hyrule approached the podium. What could he say? What was there to say?

 

The Zora River had risen too high, and the dam blocking the river broke, resulting in the devastation of Lanayru (as well as part of Eldin) and the deaths of over five hundred civilians.

 

“People of Hyrule Castle Town. I appear before you not just as your king, but a man, one touched just as much by this tragedy. Hyrule will take a long time to recover from this, but eventually, we will. And those who lost their lives in this calamity will be remembered.”

 

A wall commemorating those who perished in the flood was soon erected in the castle. Daltus promised that he would not let this event destroy Hyrule for good, that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Unfortunately, this was but one of the many disasters in store for Hyrule during Daltus’s reign. Not three years after the flood, a rebel group known as the Interlopers incited civil war, resulting in two factions- one led by Daltus, the other led by the Interlopers.

 

_~The Hyrulean Civil War, Years 3040-3046~_

 

Daltus had been relaxing on his throne when a farmer showed up, claiming to want peace.

 

“My King, this land has been in constant decline ever since the flood.”

 

Daltus shook his head. “The flood was only a few years ago. You and your little insurgent group must learn patience. In time Hyrule will recover.”

 

“People are dying! Life is miserable here!”

 

“And what are you proposing we do to magically end all that?”

 

“The Triforce. We know you have it. Hand it over, and we can end this misery and prosper once more.”

 

Daltus grimaced. He did not know the location of the Triforce, a magical artifact said to grant wishes. It had vanished from official records around the time of his ancestor, Gustaf, who had supposedly brought the Triforce from Skyloft to Hyrule, and hidden in a sacred temple so that nobody could exploit its power. Truth be told, Daltus was not even sure the records were correct in that the artifact had existed in the first place.

 

“I have told you how many times now that I do not know the location of the Triforce! Stop acting like I have it when I personally am unsure it exists at all!”

 

“Fine, my lord. Be like that!” the farmer yelled, throwing a stone at the king.

 

King Daltus briefly considered having the farmer arrested for disturbing the crown, but he decided against it. It would have been better if he had done so. The farmer was a member of the Interlopers, who had finally gathered enough allies to make their mark. Breaking off from Hyrule, they declared war on their former king. Assembling an army consisting of Hylian, Sheikah, & Gerudo knights, Rito archers, Zora spearmen, and Goron chariots, all led by General Viscen, his most trusted ally, Daltus fought back.

 

The rebel forces attacked Castle Town and set fire to Eldin, forcing the commoners to house their soldiers. Many families left their homes for fear of the soldiers harming them regardless. Daltus’s second-youngest son joined the army to fight the Interlopers, and when he did not survive the Battle of Mt. Hebra, Daltus grew inconsolable.

 

The war came to a head at the Battle of Twilight Valley, where Viscen’s army met the Interlopers. For a while, the war seemed lost for Hyrule. But hope would often appear in unusual places.

 

One of Viscen’s troops, a reckless farm boy with a love of adventure, devised a strategy to catch the Interlopers off guard. At night, the Goron troops would bomb the ammunition supply of the rebels, while the Rito would light their arrows on fire and burn down their camp. As the rebels fought off these diversions, the main army, which the boy would help Viscen lead into battle, would attack without mercy.

 

The plan worked flawlessly. Not a single Hyrulean soldier was lost, while the Interloper army was devastated. With no choice, the rebels surrendered, and Daltus had the leaders executed for treason and the surviving soldiers’ lands forfeit.

 

The farm boy was knighted for his wit and bravery, and became a leading general alongside Viscen. He was so revered that several myths were constructed from his tale, including modern works such as _The Ocarina of Time_ and _The Mask of Majora._ He became somewhat of a folk legend in Hyrule. Daltus noted that it was a shame he had no daughters, otherwise he would have offered the farm boy said princess’s hand in marriage.

 

Shortly after Zelda revealed her ancestry to Link, she wanted to do the same for Link and see if he had any notable ancestors. Link reluctantly agreed, noting that it was unlikely. However, upon the DNA results coming back, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was the direct descendant of the farm boy.

 

With the war over, Daltus could live the rest of his reign in peace. He died at the age of ninety-one, with four surviving offspring to his name.

 

For the next five hundred years, Hyrule prospered as a kingdom so mighty nobody would challenge it, with Castle Town as the crown jewel. Five hundred years prior to Link’s birth, the monarchy finally came to an end, as the last of the kings died off and the people decided that it was best to elect their rulers from then on. It was at that point the era of modern Hyrule began. This was the era Castle Town thrived in now.

 

Two hundred years into the new era, Hyrule Academy was founded as an institution so great that families from all across Hyrule would move to Castle Town so their children could attend. It was under such circumstances that Ganondorf, who was originally born in the rocky Gerudo Town, came to Castle Town.

 

Unlike most cities in Hyrule, Castle Town had more than one industry supporting its economy. Half of Castle Town was rooted in agriculture, while most of the other half was rooted in  technological advances, the most prominent being Mayor Nohansen’s biotech venture.

 

Hyrule Castle Town attracted tons of people who would later become its citizens. Some of these people included Malon’s great-grandparents, who arrived from Termina. Under the mayor’s new act, immigrants were allowed as much land as they could buy. With their accumulated wealth from Termina, Malon’s great-grandparents bought the largest chunk of land available, that dwarfed every other farm in Castle Town. Thus, the Lon Lon Ranch was created.

 

That was left out of the play, which disappointed Link, since the ranch was a key foundation of the town’s agricultural successes.

 

By seventh period the play was over at last. Students poured out of the auditorium, all grumbling with varying degrees of dissatisfaction and disappointment. Tradition, it seemed, didn’t increase the quality whatsoever.

 

“And surprise surprise,” Navi pointed out sarcastically, “you all got 100’s.”

 

Link nodded his head. “I fucking told you it was easy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, does the Triforce exist after all? Answer: it doesn't matter either way. The Triforce and any items like the Master Sword are completely irrelevant to the main story.


	13. Birthday Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link turns 18 on the morning of November 21, and the various figures in his life all celebrate in varying ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Link's birthday (November 21) is the same day that Ocarina of Time was originally released in Japan.

The sound of an alarm clock blaring rang through Kokiri Circle, miraculously waking up only the intended recipient. For once, Link did not require extra prodding by Navi to awaken.

 

“And adults say the phones are what cause us no sleep. Four in the morning just to chase a few cows into the field.”

 

Upon walking out of the cabin, Link was greeted by Saria, who was smiling and holding a wrapped package.

 

“Saria, it’s four in the morning. I’ve gotta go to work, what are you doing so early?”

 

“Happy birthday, Link!”

 

Oh, right. It was his birthday that day.

 

“Eighteen years, Link! How’s it feel?”

 

“Like I always do- empty and depressed.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, Link! Calm down!”

 

“I’m only teasing. Feels… meh, feels like a typical morning, but now I’m a legal adult, I suppose. I don’t  _ feel _ any different, that much I can tell.”

 

“Yeah! And you can do things adults do, like getting a house, or getting married, or even drink!”

 

In Hyrule, the legal drinking age was eighteen at the youngest, and no minors- or anyone without a way to prove their age- were allowed into bars at all.

 

“That last thing should sound big, but I’m pretty sure half of Hyrule Academy’s illegally snuck alcohol into parties as minors.”

 

Ganondorf was known to chug beer, and was proclaimed to be the champ at it after doing so at a massive party. Zelda mentioned having once tried liquor at a party she held while her father was away- she thought it tasted disgusting and never tried alcohol again.

 

“Well, you  _ haven’t. _ So time to get out there and try some!”

 

“I’m not sure you promoting me drinking is the best thing to do.”

 

Even at the legal age, Kokiri were not allowed to drink alcohol. Considering that at the age of 18 Kokiri still had the bodies of ten-year olds, that was a wise decision on the part of the lawmakers. Besides, Link couldn’t imagine Saria or, Goddesses-forbid,  _ Mido, _ drunk, even if there weren’t any special restrictions on the Kokiri. Who knows how they’d behave under the influence?

 

“Oh, here! I can’t believe I forgot!”

 

Saria handed Link the package in her hands. Unwrapping it, Link found a box that held a colored picture. It was hand-drawn, and depicted Link with Saria & Navi.

 

Link had to give Saria credit where credit was due: she was a very good artist, and the drawing was of professional quality.

 

“Wow. I’m gonna have to get this framed.”

 

“Well, you can do that later. You gotta go, buddy.”

 

“Yeah, I do.”

 

Link was halfway past the entrance/exit to Kokiri Circle when the Great Deku Tree’s voice boomed. If the Kokiri weren’t awake before, they were now. Turning around, Link walked back to the Deku Tree as it called for him.

 

“Link…” the Deku Tree began.

 

“Yeah, can it wait? I got up like five minutes ago, I got work to do-”

 

“It cannot wait. I have things to say. You will not be held for long, I assure you.”

 

Link sighed. He wasn’t gonna get let out without hearing what the Deku Tree had to say. “Okay,” Link turned around. “What is it?”

 

“For starters, it has come to my attention that you are now the age of eighteen.”

 

“Yeah, that’s true… What’s it have to do with anything?”

 

“Well, there exists a rule in our community… at the age of eighteen, all non-Kokiri are required to leave, for they are no longer children who we must take care of.”

 

“What?!” Link snapped awake immediately. Now fully alert, he began to protest. “I wasn’t informed of this rule in nearly eight years of living here!”

 

“It shan’t be a problem, Link. You have a cabin on that ranch.”

 

“You could’ve at least warned him!” Navi sided with Link, equally surprised.

 

The Great Deku Tree began to laugh.

 

“And just what the hell’s so funny about this?”

 

“Oh, forgive me, Link. I could not resist pulling a joke on you. Do not worry, you are still welcome in this community. You are not being kicked out. I just crack a joke about this with every non-Kokiri teen who has lived here.”

 

“Well, I didn’t find it funny.”

 

“My deepest apologies. You may commence with your day now.”

 

Arriving at the ranch, Link found two wrapped gifts. The first gift was from Malon. It was Link’s Kokiri cap, having been mended after the original began to fade in color and fall apart shortly after homecoming, which prompted Link to leave it on his bookshelf in Kokiri Circle. There it sat and collected dust for the next month, unworn and neglected. Malon must have gotten it from his house sometime when Link wasn’t paying attention. Or maybe Saria gave it to her. The repaired cap was larger than the original, and now fit on Link’s head with no issue.

 

The second gift was from Talon, and unlike the previous gift, Link could tell what it was instantly. It was an unloaded rifle, with some ammo in a small packet.

 

Link was confused by this gift, for many reasons. First off, he never liked guns.

 

When Talon walked downstairs start working himself, Link began to inquire as to Talon’s logic behind the gift.

 

“Um, sir, about the rifle-”

 

“I know, my boy. No need t’ thank me for it.”

 

“You  _ do _ know I don’t have a license to own this whatsoever, right?”

 

Talon chuckled. “Of course I do. That’s comin’ later. Show up at my office after yer shift later today an’ we can get ye one.”

 

“Sir, I appreciate the thought, but I don’t think I’d ever use this, so I’ll have to pass.”

 

“Kid, yer the first non-Kokiri in Faron I’ve ever seen refuse a gun after becomin’ an adult an’ all.”

 

“First time for everything, I suppose.”

 

“Yeah, I guess so. Only thing is that now, I don’t know what’ll I do for yer birthday.”

 

“You can think of that for a while. It doesn’t have to be  _ on _ my birthday, per se.”

 

“What about the rifle?”

 

“You can keep it.”

 

“Alright. I’ll store it with the shotgun.”

 

As Talon moved to put away the rifle, Link went out to the stables. In addition to herding the cows, Link was responsible for cleaning the stables of all seven horses on the ranch. And this time, they were absolutely filthy. Link noted that by the time he was ready to go on to college, his sense of smell would have been completely devastated.

 

“Left me a little birthday present, eh?” Link sarcastically asked Epona when moving to clean out the manure in her stable. Epona merely neighed in response.

 

Upon cleaning out the remaining stables and taking a long, warm shower, Link moved on to herd the cows out. From Epona’s back, Link directed the dogs assisting him with shouts and yells, carefully moving Epona so as not to run them over.

 

On the bus, Malon complained that Link wasn’t wearing the cap she worked so hard to mend. Link was too sleep deprived to notice or care. He simply hadn’t bothered to put the cap back on after making sure it fit.

 

“Do you have any idea how many YouTube tutorials I had to look up for that hat?!” Malon asked.

 

“Ten?”

 

“Well, it was five. But that’s still more than it should have been! I spent time an’ effort and… sorry, Fairy Boy. I forget you have to wake up so early to go to work. Figures you’d be tired enough to leave the hat behind. Must be hard to have to wake up from a good night’s rest and clean horse shit instead.”

 

Good night’s rest wasn’t at all an accurate description of how Link slept on any night. But he was too tired to argue this point. He simply leaned his head back and let the bus ride run its course.

 

Absolutely nobody realized it was Link’s birthday, except for Darunia, who had been informed by Saria in study hall. He hadn’t gotten a present due to the short notice, but offered Link a Goron hug instead. Link, wanting to keep his bones in a solid state of matter, politely declined.

 

“Well, how about I take you to some bar after school instead? You can’t just be of age and not take advantage of it.”

 

“Alright.”

 

The day went by quickly. The schoolwork was easy, and Ganondorf seemed to be absent. Link later learned that he and Nabooru were off on a weeklong cruise arranged by Ganondorf’s parents, no doubt screwing each other silly. The thought made Link, now showering at home after his shift, sick to his stomach.

 

“It’s been two years,” Link noted as he lathered his hair with shampoo. “I really need to forget that ever happened.”

 

“Remembering means you’ll take steps to avoid a similar situation the next time,” Navi countered, taking a bath in a paper cup set next to the sink. There was little privacy between her and Link- she’d seen it all, and Link decided years ago it was easier to ignore Navi then try to chase her out. Of course, the realization that an unaging miniature woman was watching him bathe naked was one Link preferred not to think of.

 

“How was I supposed to avoid my ex being screwed by Captain Testosterone?”

 

“You probably couldn’t, but you could’ve avoided dating her in the first place. She was way out of your league.”

 

“You saying I wasn’t good enough for her?”

 

“That thought of yours was exactly why Nabooru cheated to begin with- she probably thought the same. But I’d argue the other way around, Link. I’d say  _ you _ were way too good for  _ her. _ ”

 

“What makes you think that?”

 

“Well…”

 

“Never mind. I’m not sure I want to hear the rest of this.”

 

“Your loss.”

 

“We should probably hurry up. With our luck Darunia’s already parked outside waiting.”

 

…

 

The Lanayru Nightclub was an exclusive place. Darunia managed to get himself and Link in through a friendship with the bouncer, who had ties with Darunia’s brother.

 

“Darmani always recommended this place for when I turned 18 and wanted my first sip of alcohol,” Darunia reminisced. “Now that I’ve been 18 for a few months, I can say he had amazing taste.”

 

“So, what do you recommend I have?”

 

“Start you out with a beer or something. Depends. How wasted are you trying to get, Brother?”

 

“Not too much. I got work tomorrow morning, and I’d prefer to do it not hungover.”

 

The two ordered their drinks. The bartender nodded and got to work.

 

“So, I hear you went to homecoming with Zelda.”

 

“It’s been nearly two months since then. Mind if I ask why you didn’t confront me about this sooner?”

 

“Didn’t want to make a big deal about it in front of Saria, and you were always busy after school. Now’s the first time it’s been just you and me for a while.”

 

“Fair.”

 

“So, how was it?”

 

“It was fun. We danced a bit.”

 

“Get a kiss or anything?”

 

“Well…”

 

“Link, you dog! You’re a lucky guy. Just about everyone else at HA can only dream of that.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

At last, Link and Darunia’s drinks showed up. Darunia downed his rum in one gulp, tossing a red rupee as if to signal a desire for more. The bartender seemed to understand, as if they were already acquainted, and passed Darunia another. Link took one sip of his beer and promptly retched.

 

“How the fuck do people drink this?!” Link gasped in between coughing.

 

“First time drinking?” bartender asked Darunia while gesturing to Link. Darunia nodded.

 

“H-How do you manage?” Link inquired Darunia as the Goron downed his second glass in no time.

 

“Gorons have a higher alcohol tolerance due to our increased body weight compared to Zora or Hylians.”

 

“I know that much. I’m asking how you manage only a few months after becoming the legal age. Alcohol doesn’t taste great upon starting out.”

 

“I just manage, I guess. We can head home if you want, I’ll foot the bill and all. You look absolutely wrecked.”

 

“Yeah,” Link smiled. “That works for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be the first chapter since, well, the first chapter, that the Deku Tree has had a speaking role. And it'll likely be the last for a while, since I don't have any plans to incorporate a giant talking tree into the main story.
> 
> Navi does not know personal space whatsoever. Fairies often bathe alongside the Kokiri they were assigned to, and Navi seems to believe the same applies to Link.
> 
> Link thinks of him and Navi as almost like siblings- best friends for sure, even more than Malon. How Navi thinks of her and Link isn't something that will be explored for a while.


	14. Winter is Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Link was told his schedule would need to be adjusted for colder weather, he didn't think it meant racing arrogant jerks who were in over their heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ranch work is hard stuff, no doubt. But Link's used to worse. He can adapt to most things on a whim, and can hold his own for a while.

Winter marked the point at which Link would be needed more than ever on the ranch. Cows needed to be fed every day, requiring Link to head out on the tractor (the horses were only required for herding, not feeding) and do so manually. He also had to break the ice covering the small ponds Talon used to let the cows drink. It was hard work, and would likely require most of the two hours before school that Link had (Link originally only needed one hour to herd and then shower). If there was one upside, however, it was that the other employees were now able to help him. In winter, the dogs would not herd alongside Link and Epona, instead remaining in the doghouse, which freed up Mamamu Yan’s schedule. She offered to help Link with his job, and Link agreed.

 

But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Snow had yet to fall by this point. That said, preparing for winter was always a good way to ensure less demanding work when the temperature fell.

 

Come late afternoon, Link went out to help Ingo lift hay into the horse stables. Ingo was rather cranky, and Link thought it wise not to talk to him. Soon, however, something nagged him to press the man.

 

“Mind if I ask you why you’re so sour today?” Link asked Ingo.

 

“That oaf Talon seems to expect me to do this on my own! He’s off napping in his office, when he really should be helping me!”

 

“I mean, I’m currently here to help-”

 

“That doesn’t excuse the fact that the boss is just a lazy buffoon! Why, if I were in charge of this place, I’d make him work to the bone every day! No, wait, I’d kick him out! That’d show him the value of hard work!”

 

“But you’re not in charge, and unless he signs the deed of the ranch over to you, you never will be.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true. But that lazy ass has no need to be that way!”

 

Link cocked an eyebrow.

 

“He’s just as responsible for this ranch as us employees are! Bein’ the boss don’t mean naptime! It means ye gotta do the work too! It’s like I done somethin’ to piss him off!”

 

“I mean, you  _ do _ bring prostitutes on the ranch when it’s clear Talon doesn’t approve.”

 

“Jes’ like that whore he calls his daughter brings boys on the ranch when it’s clear he doesn’t approve,” Ingo retorted. “Yer point being?”

 

“Well, for starters they actually haven’t gotten onto the ranch. Not a single one has made it past the front door.”

 

“Yer point  _ being?! _ ” Ingo raised his voice.

 

“Never mind,” Link waved Ingo away, tossing the last of the hay bales into a pile before leaving.

 

During break, Link pulled out his ocarina and began to play. Professors Sharp & Flat had taught the class a new song that their ancestors composed (or so they’d been told), one they called the Song of Storms.

 

Professor Sharp smirked triumphantly when the class successfully played the song back to him and his brother. “You may recognize this tune, in fact. Recently, we were called onto the remake of  _ The Ocarina of Time _ to compose the score for the film. The song played when the hero drains the well is an orchestral rendition of the song our ancestors created.”

 

This was not lost on the class, most of whom had seen the remake of  _ The Ocarina of Time _ when it first hit theaters the previous summer. The original was praised as one of the most influential films of the century, and the remake was met with similar praise.

 

The original melody was said to create a massive thunderstorm, something the film also included. Link had to wonder just how the songs of ancient Hyrule came to be associated with feats such as this.

 

As Link sat playing the Song of Storms, Ingo walked over in a huff.

 

“An’ what’re ya doin’ playing that infernal racket?! Yer supposed to be working!”

 

“I’m on my break. Calm down, Ingo.”

 

“No! No, I won’t! I’m out there doin’ the hard work-”

 

Link gritted his teeth and sighed in frustration. “I’m. On. My. Break.”

 

Unfortunately, Ingo was always pushy whenever it came to anyone on the ranch going to do anything that wasn’t work. Grog taking his sister and her boyfriend to see  _ The Mask of Majora? _ “Shoulda warned the boss a week in advance.” Link going to the library to study for a test? Ingo’s go-to question was, “Where ye going, slacker?” Malon taking a ten minute drive in her truck to escape the drudgery of ranch life for a bit? “Who you goin’ off t’ see, miss?” The only ones spared from Ingo’s nosiness were Talon and Mamamu Yan, both of whom were older than Ingo and in a position of power over him.

 

“Say, Link, I’m kinda bored.”

 

“What, you not have a prostitute on standby or something?”

 

“Very funny, jackass. Anyways, I propose we do something, like a little bet.”

 

Link sighed. Ingo was just trying to make a quick rupee. He should’ve known, considering that Ingo loved to gamble when not on the ranch. In late October, Ingo had disappeared during his shift, with Link dispatched to find him. Asking around town, Link finally located Ingo in the casino often frequented by tourists.

 

“Fifty rupees says you can’t beat me in a race around the corral.”

 

Or fifty quick rupees, it seemed.

 

“Whaddya say? Will ya take the bet er not?”

 

“Well, my break is almost over. I should probably get back to work.”

 

“Hmph. Shoulda known you’d try to chicken out.”

 

Now Link was pissed. He was no coward.

 

“Tomorrow at five thirty. Two laps,” Link growled.

 

“That’s more like it,” Ingo sneered.

 

…

 

“Long story short,” Link concluded, “Ingo thinks he can make a payday off of me.”

 

Malon snorted before breaking out into a full laugh. “That’s funny. You’ve got this in the bag, Fairy Boy. He clearly hasn’t seen you on Epona.”

 

Link grinned. “Hey, maybe you could show up at the corral when I race? To cheer me on, perhaps?”

 

Malon had to think about it for only a moment. “Of course, Fairy Boy.”

 

Link knew that Ingo would try to pick the fastest horse to beat Link. Unfortunately for Ingo, Epona (the fastest by far) would not listen unless he played her song, and Ingo despised the song so much he actively avoided any attempt to learn how to play it.

 

“What’re ya gonna do if you win the fifty rupees?” Malon asked.

 

“Probably save it for school. Ganondorf’s already robbed me of a week’s worth of my lunch money this year.”

 

The next day arrived soon enough. Both racers made sure to get in as much practice as possible.

 

Ingo’s horse of choice was a large, black Gerudo stallion. Named Thaddeus, it boasted an orange mane and immense strength. Legends say that the kings of the Gerudo Kingdom (which later assimilated into Hyrule) once used these horses. Naturally, Link chose Epona. Thaddeus was slow and couldn’t gallop as well as any other horse, but Link felt that that wasn’t what Ingo was looking for. Ingo was looking to sabotage him and take an early lead.

 

As Malon signaled the start of the race, Link’s prediction came to pass. Ingo rammed his horse into Epona and dashed ahead.

 

“Asshole!” Link called out as Epona struggled to get going.

 

“Never said we couldn’t!” Ingo taunted as he moved forward.

 

Unfortunately, an early lead was all Ingo was going to get. Midway through the first lap, Link was neck to neck with him. Ingo tried to ram Link again, but Link stalled Epona enough for Ingo to miss entirely, throwing off Thaddeus’s pace and allowing Link to take the lead.

 

As the second lap began, Ingo began getting desperate. He pulled out a whip and used it to egg Thaddeus on.

 

“What the actual fuck is he doing?” Link cried out in shock. Malon couldn’t bear to look at one of her father’s horses being hit in such a way.

 

Whatever Ingo did, it worked, as soon Thaddeus caught up to Epona.

 

However, this time Ingo was caught off guard as Link rammed Epona into Ingo. This sudden pain, alongside the whip from earlier, startled Thaddeus enough to buck Ingo off entirely.

 

“You little shitstain!” Ingo yelled as he got to his feet.

 

“Never said we couldn’t!” Link retorted.

 

Fifty rupees never felt so satisfying in Link’s hand.

 

“With our luck he handed you counterfeits,” Navi said.

 

Link simply lay down in his bed and smiled. “I don’t care. Beating Ingo in that race was reward enough.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come to think of it, Link and Ingo have never really interacted prior to this chapter. There was one moment in chapter 3, but that's it.
> 
> Next chapter would mark the end of school for the time being and the beginning of winter break. That said, nature has other plans.


	15. Sense of Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite all their technological advancements, Hyruleans have always been at the mercy of weather... and the limits of their own sanity...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKA a shittier version of that one episode of The Simpsons.

The bell rang as students left the auditorium. Link couldn’t wait. Winter break was going to begin, and then he had all the time in the world at his fingertips.

 

“Did you hear?” Zelda asked Link. “There’s gonna be a blizzard soon. We’ll be up to our necks in snow. They’ve been predicting it for weeks. I-”

 

Before Zelda could finish her thought, Rauru appeared in the front lobby.

 

“Students of Hyrule Academy,” Rauru spoke. “It is my regret to announce that all exits from the school have been, for lack of a better word, blocked. If you look out a window, you will locate roughly three feet of snow on all sides.”

 

Looking outside the school lobby’s front door, Link saw a mountain of snow and ice, confirming Rauru’s words.

 

“How soon is that blizzard?” Link turned to Zelda.

 

“Never mind hearing about it- I think we’re seeing it.”

 

“Do not panic,” Rauru continued. “Authorities are working to remove the snow. But for the time being, you are to remain where you are now. This is an order.”

 

Unfortunately for Rauru, orders were not well followed in times of stress. Especially when the ones receiving the orders weren’t even old enough to attend college.

 

…

 

Impa shook her head in frustration. “If there ever were ways that could have gone wrong, they found every single one.”

 

Rauru nodded solemnly. Ever since that announcement, the school had devolved into chaos. The snow would take upwards of five hours to remove, even just to clear a path. Worse, the blizzard took out a power line not one minute following the announcement, meaning that the school’s electricity was completely out.

 

Most of the student body did not attend school that day, wanting to get an extra day of winter break in. Many teachers did not show up, either. Due to a lack of most of the staff, as well as students, Rauru and Impa collectively agreed that the remaining students would spend the day in the auditorium watching holiday films.

 

It had been an hour since the blizzard hit. Fifty minutes prior, students had developed cabin fever, then grew antsy. At first, it seemed as if Dr. Mizumi had contained the students within the cafeteria. Most students were content just staying on their phones. But things quickly got out of hand.

 

A half-hour into the wait, the last student’s phone had died. Ganondorf was one of the hundred students still at school. He instigated things by gathering several of his friends and tying up Mizumi in a potato sack. Soon, factions were formed, either to take control or just to survive during the few hours of anarchy. Suffice to say, cabin fever made even the most well-behaved people go nuts.

 

The remaining teachers either locked themselves in classrooms and waited for it all to end, or went to Rauru and Impa’s office to discuss their next plan of action.

 

“This is absolutely crazy,” Biggoron rubbed his head. “Even the locker rooms are never this rambunctious.”

 

There were four major factions formed by the students. The first, led by Ganondorf, composed of jocks. Their major plan was to control the cafeteria.

 

“Control the food, and we control the people,” Ganondorf reasoned. Under the jocks’ rule, the only way to get even a slice of pizza was to pay an outrageous fee. No rupees, no food.

 

The second group composed of the cheerleaders. Unlike the other groups, they had no major goals, though they began to go mad from the loss of their phones.

 

“This better be fast,” Ruto, the leader of the cheerleading faction, muttered. “I can’t believe Daddy made me come to school only for _this_ to happen!”

 

The third group was made of the computer nerds, including the Know-It-All triplets from Kokiri Circle. They planned to dig a tunnel to let students escape. Of course, it wasn’t free. The plan was to charge twenty rupees per person to leave. Ganondorf took notice and, outraged at the price, destroyed the little progress they had made in anger. Then he realized that he had just collapsed the only way out, no matter how little progress had been made towards the escape route, and yelled in complete frustration.

 

“You happy now?” the leader of the Know-It-All triplets asked. “Your dumb ass took what was gonna get us out three hours faster and made it so we’re stuck until we get outside assistance!”

 

Ganondorf responded by punting the poor Kokiri teen across the field. Luckily, snow was there to break his fall.

 

The fourth and final major faction was a mishmash of anyone not accepted by the previous three groups. Their goal was just to survive during the period of anarchy. At the helm was Zelda, with Saria, Malon, and Darunia at her side.

 

“Who do we have?” Darunia asked when the group met in the front lobby.

 

Zelda motioned to a group of people. Among them were:

 

Anju, the waitress from Four Giants and Grog’s sister. Alongside her was her boyfriend Kafei, the son of Castle Town’s deputy mayor, Andrew Dotour. Darunia had run into them during a failed attempt to steal food. Learning their motives were identical, Darunia invited them to join Zelda’ group. Zelda assigned them to lookout duty- the objective was to avoid as much contact with other groups as possible.

 

Mido, who Saria insisted be added. Mido immediately tried to pick a fight with anyone around that was willing to, but calmed down when Zelda pointed out that there was worse to worry about.

 

Tingle von Rupeeland, the son of a businessman. Tingle dressed up in a green bodysuit, performing weird feats and generally being an embarrassment to anyone associated with him. Nobody wanted him in the group, but Tingle refused to leave. Zelda thought it ironic that someone infamous for causing chaos wanted to avoid it. _Seems even Tingle’s afraid of Ganondorf,_ Zelda thought.

 

“I swear we’re missing somebody,” Saria commented.

 

“Wait,” Malon called out. “Where’s Fairy Boy?!”

 

…

 

Lost. He was lost. Navi had gone off to find his friends, but had not yet returned. Currently he was camping out in a math classroom, alone. All he could hope for was that snow plows would arrive soon enough.

 

The Know-It-Alls had raided the cafeteria to find salt, in an attempt to melt a path through following Ganondorf’s destruction of the path they had dug prior. Said attempt failed miserably, and students were growing more restless than ever.

 

But now was no time to stick around. He had spotted Ruto walk past the classroom he was in. He had to get out, fast, before she noticed him and caused a commotion. Carefully opening the door, he rushed down the hallway. He was running through the courtyard when a figure suddenly emerged from the horizon. With no time to slow down, Link ran face-first into this figure, crashing down onto the ground. It was only when the figure picked him back up by the collar when Link realized who it was.

 

“Careless jackass. Can’t even bother to look where you’re running?”

 

Suddenly, Ruto was looking to be a viable option for Link. Ganondorf was already the last person Link wanted to see. The fact that he had grown more ruthless during the blizzard merely added to that.

 

Knowing better than to aggravate Ganondorf, Link merely tried to apologize.

 

“My bad, really. I should’ve looked where I was going, and-”

 

“Fifty rupees compensation.”

 

“Are you insane? I could buy a new backpack with that money!”

 

“Give it up, or I get mad. And when I get mad…”

 

Link gulped. He had the fifty rupees from Ingo, but was it worth giving them up to avoid getting punched out?

 

Simple answer: yes, absolutely. But when Link searched through his pockets, he came up empty-handed.

 

“What the hell? I had them right here-”

 

“I don’t want your excuses, Forrester. I want your rupees.”

 

Suddenly, Link remembered where the rupees were. He had left them in his jacket pocket at Kokiri Circle.

 

 _Of fucking course. Why couldn’t I have found this out sooner?_ Link cursed silently.

 

“Time’s up.”

 

“I don’t have your money, Ganondorf.”

 

“Fine. I’ve been itching for a fight, anyways.”

 

Link dodged the first punch like it was nothing. Running around Ganondorf, he tried to sweep Ganondorf off his feet and onto the ground, but when he began the movement Ganondorf kicked him in the stomach. Getting back up, Link tried to charge Ganondorf. For once in his life, it worked, and Ganondorf fell onto his back.

 

Link took the opportunity to run while he could. Undeterred, Ganondorf pulled out an apple from his pocket and threw it as hard as he could at Link’s head.

 

If it were thrown by Mido or even Ruto, it wouldn’t have hurt one bit. But Ganondorf was trained in throwing fast and hard. The blow connected and Link fell back to the ground.

 

“Know your place, trash!” Ganondorf yelled. Link, now angrier than before, threw a few punches of his own.

 

The last punch, however, was caught by Ganondorf.

  
“Pathetic.”

 

Ganondorf used his free hand to hold Link down. Then Link felt something painful. Soon, he realized in horror that Ganondorf wasn’t just trying to hold his arm in place- he was trying to break it.

 

Link flailed and kicked as much as he could to try and get free. But it was no use. In no time, all of his energy was gone, accompanied by a sickening crunch and the immense pain that followed.

 

Ganondorf walked away as Link began to panic. He couldn’t get up without risking more pain to his arm. It was as if-

 

“Link! Link!”

 

Link looked up to find Navi flying towards him. No, not just Navi- Zelda, Darunia, Saria, Malon- and several other people were rushing towards him, too.

 

“Holy crap!” Saria cried out in shock. “What happened to your arm?!”

 

“Guess,” Link whimpered back.

 

“Ganondorf,” Darunia assumed, and the lack of trying to correct him on Link’s part told him he was right.

 

“Well,” Navi began upon assessing the fracture, “I can try to heal it. But there’s no guarantee it’ll work, and even if it does, the energy cost will require me to take a few days’ rest.”

 

“Beats staying in a cast for a month or two,” Link countered.

 

“True. I’m surprised a broken bone hasn’t happened sooner, honestly.”

 

“Wait!” Zelda called out. “We need to get an image of this. We can’t just heal it- we’d have no proof to pin Ganondorf on his deed.”

 

“He’d just get out of it anyways.”

 

“He’s never broken someone’s bone before! He’s never gotten away with it before since he’s never done it before!”

 

“How do we know?” Saria argued. “He could have done so and they could have covered it up.”

 

“Besides,” Malon added, “all your phones are dead and the security cameras are down.”

 

“Actually,” Mido began, “I happen to have a video camera.”

 

Cue many bewildered faces looking at him.

 

“What? Why?!”

 

“Just so I can film myself being awesome. But I’ve still got some battery left, so I’ll let you record something incriminating on that Ganondorf guy.”

 

“Thanks, Mido,” Link smiled. “Never knew your egotism could come in handy.”

 

“Shut up! Liked you better when you were quiet.”

 

Within a few seconds, Zelda had enough filmed to prove Link wasn’t lying about his broken arm. Using Malon’s ascot and a handful of rupees, Saria created a splint to hold Link’s arm in place so that it would heal right.

 

“Here goes nothing,” Navi began.

 

Circling around Link, Navi released fairy dust around his arm, making sure that the body could absorb it all.

 

When the procedure was done, Navi floated down into Link’s shirt pocket and began to fall asleep.

 

“Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” Navi yawned before passing out.

 

“So, a few days before she wakes?” Darunia asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Slowly, carefully, Link got up. The magic had run its course, and now his arm was good as new. Returning the ascot and rupees (while noting how useful the latter would have been sooner), Link rejoined the group and waited.

 

At long last, a path was cleared. Students rushed outside, where they greeted their families. Link, however, remained behind to speak to Rauru.

 

Entering the main office, Link found Rauru and Impa speaking to an elderly Gerudo lady. Link knew her as the superintendent of the district.

 

“School should have been cancelled in the first place!” the lady argued.

 

“With all due respect, none of us could have predicted the storm to arrive as early as it did,” Impa explained. There had been a universal decision that anything that happened during the outage would be forgotten, so long as no students came to be harmed. Miraculously, none had been hurt save for a few scratches and bruises. Link, on the other hand…

 

“Are you sure this was Ganondorf’s doing?” Rauru asked, reviewing the footage again. “I’d guess that it’s more likely the filmers did it.”

 

“I know who did that to me. They took the video as proof I was hurt in the first place.” Link held up his now healed arm. “See? You couldn’t tell I was hurt, with how well I was healed.”

 

“Fairy?” Rauru asked.

 

Link nodded.

 

“Well, this is uncontested proof someone was injured tonight. And no doubt you know who did it. I will have no choice but to take action. Mr. Forrester, you are free to leave.”

 

Link left, hiding his wide grin. Impa dismissed herself as well, to supervise the leaving students.

 

Once Link was out of sight and earshot, the superintendent cleared her throat and spoke to Rauru.

 

“You will not take any action against Ganondorf whatsoever.”

 

“With all due respect, Ms. Dragmire, I know he’s your son, but he _crushed_ that kid’s arm!”

 

“The Goron in the video could’ve done it.”

 

“Why would Link lie about who hurt him?”

 

“Blackmail. And I believe you know all about that…”

 

“I-”

 

“Need you be reminded of our ‘deal’? Bring harm to my son, and I’ll end your whole career. And I know how much you need this job, Mr. Gaepora.”

 

Rauru gulped. “Fine. No harm will befall your son.”

 

…

 

Though his arm was healed, the pain was still there. Link knew he had to take it easy for a while.

 

“You’re lucky Navi was there,” Malon noted while the two were resting on a fence.

 

Link had to agree there. He nearly went on to start winter break with a broken arm. That would have crippled his work output.

 

“Fairy Boy, where are you gonna go after school?”

 

“Probably off to college. But no way in hell am I gonna live on campus. I’ve had too many bad experiences with other people.”

 

“So you’re going to find your own place?”

 

“Probably not.”

 

“Then…?”

 

“I’ll probably stay at the ranch with you, at least until I find what I want to do in life.” _And because I get to stay with you longer_.

 

“That’d be nice. We all like having you there- well, not Ingo, but everyone whose opinion matters anyway.” _I’m just glad you’ll be staying with me_.

 

The gap between their faces wasn’t very large. Link could move to close those final inches, as could Malon, and Goddesses know they both wanted to.

 

Then Link’s cell phone rang. It was Talon, who was calling to tell them that dinner was finished. They both turned away in shock, with the gap left unclosed.

 

“We should probably get back,” Malon said. Link agreed. As they walked back to the house in silence, they both lamented not going through with the kiss, each not realizing the other held the same regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even the headmaster of Hyrule's most prestigious academy has to pay the bills somehow.
> 
> It would totally be in character for the Twinrova sisters (who are still Ganon's parents in this universe- which one's his biological mother is up to interpretation) to have one of them take a position of authority just to further their son's own career. Hell, in the games they're willing to die for their son's cause.


	16. The Perfect Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the holidays rapidly approaching, Link realizes he has yet to get Malon a gift, and rushes out to get one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, I think this is the fastest I've finished a chapter upon starting it.
> 
> Wait, is that a good thing?

Night fell on Kokiri Circle as Link tucked himself in.

 

“So, what do you think I should get her?”

 

Silence. Link waited a minute before he remembered that of course Navi wouldn’t respond to him.

 

“Right. You’re sleeping after what happened earlier today. Don’t think you’ve ever been out for longer than half a day before. It’s kind of jarring, honestly.”

 

If Link were any stronger, he would give Ganondorf hell for requiring Navi to use up so much energy. No, if he were any stronger, he would’ve won the fight. No, the fight wouldn’t have even happened. Ganondorf wouldn’t bother to bully someone he could get absolutely pummeled by.

 

Worse, Rauru regretfully called the Deku Tree to have him inform Link that nothing could be done about Ganondorf after all. Of course, Rauru had his own reasons to decide this. But Link didn’t know these reasons, and it felt more like the school was weaseling their way out of doing anything about Ganondorf. For an academy so great people moved to Castle Town just to have their families go, the issue of bullying was more prevalent than ever.

 

Link was restless. This time on his list of many nightmares, a demon kept him and Malon apart for nearly a decade while said demon ruled the land. He had to watch as the people he knew suffered. When the demon appeared to be defeated, Link wanted to find Malon, but a bright light engulfed him and made him vanish from the world. She didn’t know what happened to him, and never would.

 

Shortly after the previous dream, just when Link finally felt like he was going to get rest, he had another nightmare about the orphanage. Words rang vividly in his head.

 

_“You’re just a freak who belongs in the woods.”_

 

_“You will amount to absolutely nothing.”_

 

_“Might as well kill yourself. There are people who need to be adopted more than you.”_

 

In the grand scheme of nightmares they could have been way worse, but they were often depressing and full of loathing so that Link still woke up terrified each morning.

 

He jolted up, panting. He realized what had come to pass was only a bad dream, and settled into his bed. He thought of Malon once more. She gave him hope. She made him happy. She made him smile and laugh and things he hadn’t been able to feel for a long time. For brief moments, he could forget about his past. But all too suddenly, the memories came back.

 

Early the next day, Link sat on the fence, watching Malon tend to Epona.

 

_To think, if not for her father, I could just walk up and tell her. It could have been so easy._

 

But back to business Link went. He had called up Saria, Darunia, and Zelda for assistance in finding a gift for Malon. Day of the Golden Goddesses, a day of gift giving and celebrations of when the Golden Goddesses first created the land of Hyrule, was rapidly approaching, and Malon was so insistent on Link spending time to heal his arm- broken or not, it still hurt- that Link had forgotten all about a gift. It was Darunia who suggested jewelry.

 

“I’m not too sure about that-”

 

“Well, some accessories have a practical use as well. Bracelets made from Goron Rubies enhance the wearer’s strength, for instance.”

 

“I guess. I’ve just never seen her wear jewelry before, aside from a pair of her mother’s earrings.”

 

“It can’t hurt. I know that a friend of Mr. Biggoron runs the number one jewelry shop in Castle Town over in downtown Lanayru. Why not stop by and see if he’s got anything you like?”

 

“Yeah, you’re right.”

 

Link hung up and prepared to leave for said jewelry shop.

 

“Should probably get some help, though,” he muttered to himself.

 

Walking through Castle Town late in the evening was not Link’s idea of a fun time. But he had to hurry- Day of the Golden Goddesses was just a few hours away.

 

“I still don’t get why you have to wear a disguise,” Link told Zelda. She showed up at Castle Town Square wearing a beanie, red eye contacts, and a sweatshirt that bore the mark of the Sheikah on the back of it. Her hair was hidden to make it seem short.

 

“I always wear one when I go out alone. I’ve had more than my fair share of encounters with Ganondorf, and while none of them have ended too badly, I won’t stick around any longer in case one of them does.”

 

“Seems fair. Got a name for this disguise of yours?”

 

“Sheik.”

 

“Seems a bit unoriginal. That, and how do you pass off the blonde hair? Sheikah have white hair, from birth to death.”

 

“I say I dyed it. So many teens are dying their hair nowadays that nobody questions it.”

 

“Hey, Link!”

 

Saria, resting on a bench, called out to Link.

 

“There you are! I was getting worried you’d called me out for no reason!”

 

“So,” Zelda began, “You need help picking out jewelry.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

The three friends walked into the store, each looking for something Malon would like.

 

“Hey, what about this?” Saria pointed to a necklace with an orange gemstone.

 

“You think she’d like that one? Really?”

 

“Sure, why wouldn’t she?”

 

“I dunno, seems kinda expensive. And orange was never her color.”

 

“Need any help?” the Goron behind the counter asked.

 

“Yeah,” Saria pointed to Link. “This poor sap’s looking for something to give a girl he likes-”

 

“Saria!” Link turned beet red. “Tell another person and I swear-”

 

“Relax, it’s not like he knows who I’m talking about.”

 

“Special someone, eh? You’re looking for the Spiritual Stone Collection.”

 

“What’s that?” Link asked. The Goron pointed over to a set on the right of Zelda.

 

The first item was a pair of golden earrings. The earrings each encased two green gemstones.

 

“The Kokiri Emerald earrings have been popular recently. I’d say they’re a good buy.”

 

“What about that bracelet?”

 

Next to the earrings was a golden bracelet. It was fairly large and housed a red gem.

 

“The Goron Ruby bracelet. It’s not just beautiful- it’s got a practical use, too. Wear that bad boy and your strength will be amplified tenfold.”

 

Darunia wasn’t lying, it seemed. Even if he didn’t get it for Malon, Link was considering buying one of the bracelets anyway. Such strength would help against Ganondorf whenever the bastard tried anything.

 

Then again, with Link’s luck Ganondorf would just buy one of the bracelets for himself, and then Link would be back to square one.

 

Link thought long and hard about whether or not he wanted the items.

 

“Sure, I’ll take them.”

 

“Whoa there, you’re getting a bit ahead of yourself. There’s still one more item left.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Turning around, Link saw a ring next to the bracelet. The ring held a blue gemstone on it.

 

“The Zora Sapphire ring. Commonly used in marriage proposals. If you’re getting something for your special someone, that has to be on your list.”

 

“Hey, mister, I’m not sure if you know how old I am,” Link tried to talk him down, “but I’m not even out of high school yet. I can’t just go propose right off the bat.”

 

“Then just save the ring for later.”

 

“Can’t I just buy the other two items?”

 

“Nope. Sorry, buddy, but that’s a package deal. All or nothing.”

 

“Fine, I’ll just buy something else.”

 

“Link,” Saria shook her head, “look at the prices. That triple package is the cheapest thing you’ll find. You can’t afford anything else.”

 

“Guess we know why the triple package is so popular,” Zelda said sarcastically.

 

Link sighed in frustration. “Fine. I’ll take the Spiritual Stone collection.”

 

“Great! I’ll get this packaged up for you.”

 

The Goron put each accessory into their own special box, handing Link the three boxes. He took the rupees and gave Link his change. A golden bracelet, pair of earrings, and a beautiful engagement ring, each encrusted with the Goron Ruby, Kokiri Emerald, and Zora Sapphire respectively.

 

“So, guess you’re saving the ring for another day, huh?” Saria asked as she, Zelda, and Link left the shop.

 

“Yeah. Better keep it in a safe place until then.”

 

“Don’t you have work off tomorrow?”

 

“Yeah, but Talon’s hosting a party for employees and their families. I’ll be going there, and I’ll give the gifts then.”

 

“Good luck, Link!” Saria hugged Link as she rushed off to her house. Zelda had long since departed.

 

“Yeah,” Link commented as he entered his own.

 

“I’ll need it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malon has yet to learn of Link's horrible time in the orphanage. She knows he stayed in one prior to the Kokiri, but he's never mentioned any of the bullying. That said, Malon's not stupid- she definitely suspects something.


	17. Day of the Golden Goddesses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule's biggest holiday, from two different perspectives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've been wanting to do a chapter that wasn't from the perspective of Link or Malon for a while. It's not a full chapter of a different perspective, but it's a start.

It was currently the night before the Day of the Golden Goddesses. Though he did not share the religious beliefs that most celebrating the Day of the Golden Goddesses did, Ganondorf was never one to turn down a party. He was on his way, walking to one hosted by Ghirahim, known as an insanely popular party animal who always held the best parties of anyone at Hyrule Academy. Ganondorf had to admit that this included even himself in the equation.

 

Walking down Sandship Drive, Ganondorf came to a stop in front of a large set of luxury apartments. Furrowing his brow, he located what he was looking for- loud music and blaring lights emitted from one of the apartments.

 

“A telltale giveaway,” Ganondorf said to himself. “If Ghirahim ever needed to go on the run, he’d be caught because he just can’t live without loud music or bright lights.”

 

Walking into the apartment housing the party, he was immediately greeted by the host.

 

“Well, there you are, Ganon,” Ghirahim smiled. “I should have known you’d show up.”

 

“What party is a party without me?” Ganondorf laughed.

 

“A shitty party, that’s what!” Ghirahim hi-fived Ganondorf. “Drinks are in the back. Parents are gone tonight and tomorrow, the only rule is that you don’t enter their room for any reason.”

 

“My friend,” Ganondorf placed his hand on Ghirahim’s shoulder. “Rules are made to be broken.”

 

“That’s the spirit. You know a lot about breaking rules, huh?”

 

“Never get caught, though.”

 

“Speaking of, heard from ‘Booru that you broke some loser’s arm during the blizzard yesterday.”

 

“The asshole charged me.”

 

“I’m only relaying what I was told. So, it’s true? You really did break someone’s arm yesterday?”

 

“Forrester deserved it.”

 

“Wait, as in Link Forrester? The douche who used to date Nabooru? Works on a ranch part-time?”

 

“Yeah, that one.”

 

“Man, what a dork.”

 

“Well, it wasn’t permanent. He’s got a fairy that follows him around, I’m assuming that she healed him, ‘cause when I saw him later in the day his arm was good as new.”

 

“So how can we be sure you even broke it in the first place?”

 

“My parents got a recording of the aftermath from the headmaster. Of course, they made sure he couldn’t take any action against me.”

 

“Smart. Take all the evidence against you, even if you weren’t going to get in trouble in the first place.”

 

“Ganon! There you are!”

 

Nabooru walked up to Ganondorf, making sure to get a good selfie with him. This particular habit of his girlfriend was not one Ganondorf was fond of, in fact, he found it rather annoying, but he tolerated it nonetheless.

 

“Hey, babe. What’s new?”

 

“Well, I’ve heard rumors that Aveil was planning to become an Internet model when she graduates to pay for col-”

 

“No, no, with you.”

 

“Well, I recently sent in an application to Clock Town University over in Termina.”

 

“Really? You? No offense, but you never struck me as the college type. I thought you’d just-”

 

“Us women have our surprises, Ganon.”

 

“Yes, I suppose after two years of dating you I should have realized this.” _The only surprise I’ve ever gotten is how tiresome you can get._

 

In the corner, several guests were playing a game of Spin the Bottle. Ganondorf briefly considered joining them (and blaming any shenanigans he’d get into as a result on alcohol), but it seemed as if the game was long underway, and Ganondorf decided to let them have their fun without him. _Another time,_ Ganondorf thought.

 

Ghirahim had managed to get one of his good friends, a semi-famous upstart rapper also attending Hyrule Academy, to DJ at his party. At the doorway, a Goron acted as bouncer, turning away anybody not invited.

 

“Asshole! I was invited here!” Mido called out, flailing, when the Goron dragged him away from trying to sneak into the party.

 

“Name?” the Goron asked.

 

“M-Mido.”

 

“Hmm… Not on the list. Get out of here.”

 

“You’ve got a _list?_ ” Ganondorf asked Ghirahim in shock when he overheard Mido screaming at the bouncer.

 

“What, you weren’t questioned at the front door too?”

 

“No, I wasn’t.”

 

“Guess it’s ‘cause you’re so recognizable that the bouncer never bothered. There’s only one male Gerudo.”

 

“There could easily be others.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Well, let me say this… Many years back, scientists discovered the reason for a lack of male Gerudo. It’s got something to do with our chromosomes, or something like that. Imagine a calico cat. Our genetic makeup is like a human-like version of a calico cat. And due to an extra set of factors that go into the right makeup to create a Gerudo male, only Gerudo males can father other Gerudo males. Ever since this was figured out, some couple of centuries ago, sperm samples from the remaining males were taken so that there was never a fear of Gerudo men dying out for good. But Gerudo women were never required to marry a Gerudo man. They would often marry each other, or go off to marry a Hylian, regardless of said Hylian’s gender. Gerudo males were almost considered obsolete by then. My parents were the first in a hundred years to want a Gerudo son and not a Gerudo daughter. And thus, here I am. While I may be the first in a hundred years, it’s been eighteen since I was born. Within that time, who knows how many there could be?”

 

“I’ll be honest, Ganon. I wasn’t paying attention past ‘calico cat’. Sorry, dude, but you’re less interesting when you act smart.”

 

“Fuck you too, then.”

 

Ghirahim laughed. “I’m gonna get some liquor from the fridge. Want some?”

 

“I’ll pass. Beer’s more my type.”

 

“Noted. I’ll get some while I’m there.”

 

“Hey, Ganon,” Nabooru began.

 

“What is it, honey?”

 

“I’m kinda bored.”

 

“That’s not my fault.”

 

“No, but you can fix it.”

 

“And how- oh, I get what you mean. Shall we?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Hey, Ghirahim, we’re using your parents’ room for a bit!”

 

“What? I know rules are meant to be broken, but-”

 

“Relax,” Nabooru said. “With Ganondorf? We won’t be in there long.”

 

“Yeah, we- wait a minute! The fuck’s that supposed to mean?!”

 

Ghirahim laughed. “Oh, man, she got you _good!_ That’s a keeper!”

 

Ganondorf growled, but he had to admit he walked right into that one.

 

Just to spite Ghirahim, he had Nabooru stay there with him for the rest of the night, doing everything that could be done by just two people and nobody or nothing else. He wasn’t sure if the music was loud enough to drown out Nabooru’s constant moaning, but he didn’t exactly care as it was.

 

Ganondorf woke up in the morning, spotting Nabooru sleeping naked right next to him. She always was a late sleeper.

 

_Then again, to be fair, she_ would _be exhausted after what I did to her last night,_ Ganondorf grinned. The women he slept with were almost always tired in the morning.

 

Ganondorf briefly ran his hand over her body as a form of affection, before returning to sleep.

 

_Ghirahim’s parents are gonna return home to one of the nastiest smells they’ve ever sensed in their lives._

 

…

 

Link put on an outfit that he could wear to the party later that day. Inside his pocket he put the box containing the earrings and bracelet he planned on giving Malon, keeping the ring in a separate box on his bedside table. Walking outside, he promptly remembered the massive blizzard that had hit yesterday. Suffice to say, it would take a while for the snow to melt. He put Navi in his pocket, in case she woke up later that day, during the party.

 

At the ranch’s front door, he was greeted by Malon.

 

“Hey, Fairy Boy!”

 

“Hey, Mal.”

 

“Is Navi awake yet?”

 

“No. It might be a couple more days.”

 

“That sucks.”

 

“Yeah, it does.”

 

“Happy Day of the Golden Goddesses, Fairy Boy.”

 

“Same to you, Mal. Hey, I got a gift for you.”

 

“Really?!”

 

“Yeah. Here.”

 

Link pulled out the small jewelry box from inside his pocket. Malon opened it up, where she saw the items Link had bought.

 

“Fairy Boy, where did you find these?”

 

“Jewelry store on Sanctuary Avenue.”

 

“Wow, I… I love these. These look just like the ones my mother wore!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Eh, not really. Hers were silver. But they’re pretty close. And I wasn’t kidding when I said I loved these. You sure know how to get on a girl’s good side, Fairy Boy.”

 

“Wish Nabooru shared the same opinion on that last part.”

 

“But what’s her opinion matter on anything?”

 

Link cracked a smile. “True.”

 

Within the next few minutes Malon had put on the earrings and bracelet. Moving to shake Link’s hand, she nearly broke his arm again.

 

“Oh, Goddesses! Are you okay?!”

 

“Fine, I’m fine,” Link grimaced, setting his arm back into place. “Forgot to mention that the bracelet amplifies strength.”

 

“Well, that would come in handy for work.”

 

“Yeah, it would.”

 

A few hours later, the party was in full effect. Walking downstairs, Link spotted a familiar face.

  
“Hey, you’re the waitress from Four Giants. Anju, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s me. My brother invited our family to this party, so here I am. Wish I could have spent the day with Kafei, though.”

 

“Kafei?”

 

“My boyfriend.”

 

Looking around, Link spotted Ingo talking to two lookalikes. His two brothers.

  
“…An’ that fuckin’ asshole goes, ‘I won’t take anythin’ less than 400 fer this ‘un’’!”

 

“Yeah! That horse’d do much better at our ranch than his!”

 

The brothers continued talking about said horse, and Link couldn’t help but note that the brothers were quite suspicious. At least, he wouldn’t trust them with anything. Even Talon seemed to be keeping a safe distance from them.

 

_So much for pawning Malon off to their hypothetical children,_ Link snarked. Must’ve been an early thought of Talon’s, one he abandoned early on. Link couldn’t say he blamed him.

 

“Fairy Boy?” Malon called out. “I’ve got a gift fer ya. Don’t think I forgot!”

 

Heading into the kitchen, Malon handed Link a watch.

 

“Sorry, Fairy Boy. This thing cost a fortune. Don’t get much of an allowance as is, so this was all I could get.”

 

“It’s fine. Wasn’t expecting a gift anyways, so anything would do.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. Needed a way to tell the time anyways.”

 

Grabbing a drink from the fridge, Link wondered if Malon already knew he had a crush on her, but was hiding it so her father wouldn’t intervene.

 

_Never was good at keeping secrets,_ Link smiled to himself.

 

“What’s so fucking funny?” Ingo’s brother asked him, grabbing a bottle of liquor.

 

“None of your damn business,” Link commented back. If he wasn’t going to be nice, why should Link be nice back?

 

“Fair enough,” the man walked away.

 

The party was fairly low-key, not like most parties held by someone at Hyrule Academy. Just drinks, some food, and maybe a few games, not the blaring music, rampant sex, and alcohol party animals like Ganondorf were known for hosting or attending.

 

But simplicity was sometimes all Link needed.

 

The party wound down in the late hours of the night. Guests left, and Link prepared to leave when Talon called out to him.

 

“Link?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Meet me tomorrow night. We’ve got a talk that’s long overdue.”

 

“O-Okay.”

 

Link could only spend the next twenty-four hours wondering just what it was he wanted to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does Malon know? Does her father? Who knows?


	18. A Talk With Talon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What makes Talon tick? Link finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was in the works ever since I knew what I wanted to do with Talon's character arc. And I finally get to refine it.

Link sat on his bed, with his phone next to his ear. “Your father told me he wants to talk.”

 

“Really? Him? Wanting to talk? About what?”

 

“I’m not sure yet. I’ve only been told he wants to talk. Goddesses, I hope it’s not to yell at me or fire me.”

 

“I think you’ll be fine. Pa rarely ever pulls anyone aside just to yell at them.”

 

Link sighed. He couldn’t be sure about that. What else would Talon do? It certainly wasn’t a raise, or a promotion of any kind.

 

Could it be? Could… Talon be hoping to have him marry Malon?

 

Nah, that was a stupid hope. Besides, even if he did, Link wouldn’t go through with it if Malon didn’t want to. Forget what he wanted, he couldn’t just marry Malon without her consent. That was the whole reason Malon got annoyed by her father- it was like he trusted his own judgement on men over his daughter’s. It was like he knew what was the best course of action to protect her.

 

That would certainly explain why Talon wasn’t just marrying her off immediately, especially since the Cheval family in Ordona had a son who was soon to inherit a sizable piece of land. While farmers were priority on Talon’s list of suitors, he wasn’t just trusting any old farmer. He wanted a farmer he could trust with his daughter. And if you asked Link, he’d say that such a man didn’t exist. Faron and Ordona had the biggest concentration of backwards rednecks he’d ever seen in his entire life. Then again, he’d only been outside of Castle Town for field trips or prior to his mother’s death so many years ago, so there wasn’t much to compare.

 

Navi still hadn’t woken up. She was currently sleeping on Link’s bedside table in Kokiri Circle.

 

_Must’ve been a bad break to heal if she’s_ still _out,_ Link thought.

 

“I’m gonna be heading out now. Your father’s probably been ready for ages.”

 

Talon was parked outside of the ranch. He seemed to be waiting for Link- an odd sight, since Talon so very rarely liked to get out of his chair unless he had to.

 

“Well, there ye are, boy. Git in, we’re headin’ to the tavern.”

 

“Um, I thought we were going to talk, not drink.”

 

“Yer eighteen, ye can handle it. ‘Sides, after the whole birthday thing I thought I’d treat you to a little something to make up fer the gun.”

 

“Sir, I don’t really like alcohol.”

 

“Well, how many times have ye had it?”

 

“Once.”

 

“Well, no wonder! Alcohol _never_ tastes good on the first go around. You’ll love it.”

 

“Sir, I’m not sure if promoting teenage alcoholism is a wise choice.”

 

“I’m not sayin’ to guzzle the stuff! I’m jes’ saying that you’ll get more used to the taste. My old friend from college runs a tavern in Ordona. Best alcohol this side of Castle Town.”

 

“If you insist.”

 

“There ye go!”

 

…

 

The truck pulled into a parking lot that, if you asked Link, looked like it hadn’t been cleaned up in years. Link nearly stepped on what looked like a used condom. Broken bottles littered the ground, and Link swore one of them had blood on it.

 

“Sir?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Is this place… safe?”

 

“Never had an issue throughout fifteen years of goin’ here. If yer worried, stick with me. Ain’t nobody got the balls t’ fuck with this guy!” Talon laughed heartily, flexing a muscle to show that indeed, messing with Talon was a horrible idea.

 

Link looked up and read the sign on top of the building. _Barten’s Tavern. Why do I get the feeling this guy’s career path was set in stone the minute he was born, with a last name like that?_ Link wondered.

 

“Yeah,” Talon laughed, “the name’s a bit on the nose. Go on without me, I gotta get somethin’ outta the trunk.”

 

The fact that there was nobody at the door waiting to check Link’s ID was _not_ a good sign of things to come. At least, Link didn’t think so.

 

The first thing Link heard upon opening the door was a jukebox playing shitty country music.

 

_I know we’re in Redneck Central, but they seriously couldn’t pick some Indigo-Go’s songs instead of this garbage?_

 

A majority of the barflies were wearing attire similar to Talon or Ingo. In the corner, some of them were trying (and from the looks of it, failing) to seduce some poor lady who simply wanted something to drink.

 

“Well,” one of them said, “if ya want somethin’ to drink we can get some for ya.”

 

Most of them struck Link as suspicious and shifty, not unlike Ingo’s brothers from the day before. Link half-expected to see said brothers in the tavern, but he saw no familiar faces. These hicks stuck out so well that Link found it hard to believe he shared a hometown with them.

 

Immediately most eyes were on Link. It should’ve been obvious that Link would stand out. He wasn’t wearing typical redneck attire… whatever that was.

 

“Well, we gots us a new guy!” one of the men proclaimed. “Ain’t no new kids shown up for ages!”

 

Immediately a voice in the back of Link’s mind was telling him to say goodbye to Talon and run. If she were there, Navi would likely say something similar.

 

Link tried to grab an empty stool, only for a barfly to stop him.

 

“Whoa, whoa, ye can’t jes’ grab some old stool willy-nilly! This here’s my friend’s, and if ya think you c’n just take it-”

 

“Calm down, Hanch,” Talon walked in at last. “He’s with me.”

 

“Oh,” the barfly backed off, “he is? My bad.”

 

“Well,” the bartender turned around. “It’s been a bit, ain’t it?”

 

Talon nodded. “Been a busy year.”

 

“So, who’s the kid?”

 

“This is Link, my newest employee. He herds the cows better ‘n anyone I’ve ever seen.”

 

“Well, nice t’ meet ye. Name’s Barten. Well, that’s me last name. Got a first name, but prefer to just go by Mr. Barten.”

 

The first thing Link noticed about Mr. Barten was that he looked quite a bit like Talon. There were some obvious differences, but the way Link saw it, they could easily be mistaken for siblings.

 

“How’s the girl?” Mr. Barten asked Talon.

 

“She’s doin’ alright.”

 

“Tried to date anyone?” Mr. Barten teased, to which Talon laughed.

 

“Not for a while. Last attempt was during the kids’ summer break.”

 

“Well, ye better look out, Tal,” Barten chuckled, pointing a meaty finger at Link. “This kid here’s a real good-lookin’ guy. Might try t’ steal her from under yer nose if you ain’t carefully looking at him.”

 

Link donned a look of horror on his face.

 

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! C’mon, man, I haven’t even been here five minutes!_

 

Talon took a good look at Link, who was trying his best not to absolutely freak out externally. Link was worried that with one playful jab, Mr. Barten would end Link’s job at the ranch and any hope he had of seeing Malon without leaving in a body bag.

 

“Barten, I’ve already considered the possibility. Over six years he ain’t tried nothing. Why would he try now?”

 

Link internally sighed in relief. For the time being, he was in the clear. Talon trusted him not to try anything.

 

“So, ‘bout that talk…”

 

“Is there something wrong?”

 

“Nah. I just wanted to clear some things up.”

 

“About what?”

 

“About a few things. Namely, what I have planned fer my daughter. Y’know, I may be lazy, but I’m no fool. I know you and my daughter talk about me wantin’ to marry her off to some ‘hick farmer’.”

 

“Um, I-”

 

“Relax, yer not in trouble. I jes’ wanted to clear up a few misconceptions.”

 

“Yes, you mentioned that.”

 

“Anyways, what you say I’m planning… ‘s not true at all. Yeah, I want to find somebody to marry Malon, but that’s only because of family tradition. My marriage was arranged, and so was my parents’. I jes’ wanna adhere to tradition.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“An’ yeah, I’d like to expand the ranch, and marriage _is_ the easiest way to do that, but I’m mostly concerned fer her well-being. An’ so far, I ain’t found nobody I can trust with that. At least, nobody who _wants_ to marry her.”

 

“What about Ingo?” Link asked absent-mindedly. He soon realized exactly what he had said- _out loud-_ and promptly covered his mouth, completely worried that he had just given Talon an idea.

 

“Him? He’s old enough to be her uncle! I’ve got standards, ya know!”

 

“Sir, why are you so protective of Malon?”

 

“Well, she’s the only family I got. I gotta look out for her, since nobody else will. And I’ve seen some very nasty people over the years. I’m just worried that she’ll get together with one of them and then they’ll harm her.”

 

“So the best course of action is to keep her from getting together with anyone?”

 

“It ain’t always obvious who’s a jackass and who’s good to go. Easiest to keep them all away.”

 

“Doesn’t your goal of blocking suitors contradict your goal of finding someone to marry her?”

  
“Well, I just want to find somebody trustworthy. Once I have that, I can have her marry that somebody. If I just wanted her to marry a farmer, I’d have already found the one.”

 

“When are you planning to have the wedding? I mean, you’ve already planned things out.”

 

“I’m just looking fer somebody. I’ll probably hold the wedding a few years from now.”

 

“Are you absolutely sure that this is the best for Malon? I think she knows her own needs better than anyone else.”

 

“Son, I’m absolutely sure. I couldn’t bear it if something bad happened to her and I could’ve prevented it.”

 

Link nodded.

  
“Son… I got something to ask you. Do you… do you understand what I’m saying? About my daughter, why I want to protect her, and the whole marriage thing? Do you see where I’m coming from on the fact that I can’t just trust anybody with her?”

 

Truthfully, Link didn’t agree one bit. He believed that Malon could take care of herself- even without the bracelet he gifted her, she was quite strong and more than capable of knocking Link- fairly physically fit himself- flat on his ass, and both of them knew it. He knew that Malon was capable of discerning what was best for herself. But he didn’t want to test Talon.

 

“Yeah, I understand.”

 

“Are ye alright? Ye haven’t taken a sip of yer beer.”

 

“I told you I don’t like alcohol.”

 

“Well, fine then. We’ll have the bill, Barten. On me.”

 

Returning to Kokiri Circle, Link spotted Navi floating above the table.

 

“You’re awake!”

 

“Yeah. Where’ve you been?”

 

“Some tavern in Ordona. It was kinda scary. The rednecks in there were… I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to cross them.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Had a talk with Talon there. Most of it was about his motives behind protecting Malon from dating. I learned something interesting, too.”

 

“What?”

 

“Well, we sorta knew this, but Talon seems to trust me not to try anything with Malon.”

 

“No. No, he doesn’t.”

 

“Excuse me?” Link looked at Navi.

 

“Can’t believe it took me this long to say anything. He doesn’t trust you one bit. Every time you go hang out with her alone, Talon has me report back to him and make sure you haven’t pulled any stunts. Even if you had tried anything, I wouldn’t have sold you out, but he absolutely does not trust you whatsoever.”

 

“I… wow.”

 

“Sorry I had to tell you like that.”

 

“It’s no big deal. I would’ve found out sooner or later.”

 

Navi perched on Link’s shoulder.

 

“Thinking about it, it’s probably better that you did find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's possible that Talon trusted Link when he was younger, but as soon as he started high school that went out of the window. It's to the point where Link having been an old friend of Malon prior to the latter being old enough to date is the only reason he hasn't been chased away.


	19. The Final Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A party at Zelda's isn't the usual way Link ends the year. But compared to being stuck at home, it's a blessing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, and Link's not exactly the best secret keeper, which can bite him in the ass if the wrong person learns it...

“Great! Hope to see you there! Oh, and don’t forget to tell Malon she’s invited too!”

 

“I’m not sure she’ll be allowed to go. Her father hasn’t let her go to any parties since fifth grade. At least, that’s what she’s told me.”

 

“Oh. I guess you’ll be declining to spend time with her, huh?”

  
“I would, but Malon’s going to insist I go without her. It’s not everyday someone gets invited to one of your parties, and she knows that. I think she’d kill me if I didn’t go.”

 

“That’s a fair reaction. See you at eight!”

 

“Wait, wait! Do I need to wear anything fancy?”

 

“No, not at all. Bye, Link!”

 

“Bye.”

 

Hanging up, Link sighed in relief at the fact that he could wear his typical clothing. “So, we’re going to Zelda’s.”

 

Navi nodded. “And as much as Malon would want to go, and as much as we want her to go, her father’s not budging.”

 

“Well, it’s worth a shot to try.”

 

…

 

“He shot me down sooner than I could get the words out. Sorry, Fairy Boy. Just have a good time without me, okay?”

 

“Alright, Mal.”

 

“Don’t worry ‘bout me! I’ll probably just go down to Castle Town Square with my father and Ingo to watch the fireworks like we did last year.”

 

Securing his Kokiri cap tightly on his head, Link walked out the door only to find Mido also leaving.

 

“What,” Mido began, “you goin’ to Zelda’s too?”

 

“I should ask you that myself. Were you even invited?”

 

“They don’t check ID’s at her parties, I heard, so it don’t matter.”

 

“Didn’t you get kicked out of Ghirahim’s party last Saturday?”

 

“Didn’t you hear me? They don’t check ID’s at this Zelda chick’s parties.”

 

“Mido… are you trying to get into Zelda’s pants?”

 

“So what if I am?”

 

“How does that even work? Kokiri don’t reproduce like Hylians do.”

 

“Why don’t you ask Zelda after today’s done?”

 

“You’re hopeless.”

 

“Says the shut-in who moped over a single girl. And if you really think I stand no chance with Zelda, maybe I’ll hit up that redhead farm girl whose dad you work for.”

 

“Her father won’t let her date. Chases off anyone who tries, probably with a restraining order or two.”

 

“Oh… oh…”

 

“Yeah, so back off.”

 

Link left Kokiri Circle at last, hoping to at least get to Zelda’s before the main event got underway. Mido sat at the gate, registering what had been revealed.

 

“Little does he know, he just dug his own grave. His crush on the redhead ain’t no secret, and if what he says about her father is true… Oh, just wait until I sell him out! This’ll be GOOD!”

 

“Mido…” the Deku Tree boomed.

 

“Yessir?”

 

“If you get any bright ideas, Mido…”

 

“But sir-”

 

“What you are planning is the sabotage of someone I consider my son. There must be consequences if you find the gall to go through with it.”

 

“I’m your _actual_ son!”

 

“And being a good parent means no favoritism, regardless of whether or not one of my children is adopted. I shan’t place you over him simply because he is a Hylian and not a Kokiri.”

 

“Then don’t place him over me!!”

 

“Mido, I would punish him if he tried to do the same to you.”

 

A Kokiri girl walked by. “Mido does a good enough job sabotaging his own romantic life, no need to get Link involved.”

 

“Piss off, Fado!”

 

Some nearby Kokiri snickered. Mido turned red and chased them off as well.

 

“Of all the kids to adopt…”

 

“Not a peep out of you. Tell Mr. Lon and there will be consequences.”

 

Mido sighed. Maybe if there was somebody willing to help him, he wouldn’t have to get so involved.

  


_~December 31, 8:00 PM- Four Hours to the New Year~_

 

“That will be all, Niko. You may leave.”

 

Zelda’s father was in Castle Town Square for the night, leaving Zelda to have her party unhindered so long as the house remained in one piece.

 

Hearing a loud knock on the door, Zelda rushed downstairs. Link stood outside, with Navi fluttering behind him.

 

“Link! So glad you could come!”

 

“I told you I’d show up.”

 

Heads turned towards Link. But he knew it wasn’t because of popularity or anything. They were probably wondering how some sap like him got invited to the biggest party of the year.

 

Servants of Mayor Nohansen attended to the guests, providing refreshments whenever requested. In the corner several teenagers were playing a game of Truth or Dare, all clearly intoxicated. Among them, Link picked out Mido.

 

“Of course you’re here.”

 

“Duh, why wouldn’t I?”

 

“Because you’re not invited?”

 

“Pssh, you’re the only one who cares ‘bout that. It’s like that Gatsby fellow’s parties, nobody’s invited, they just show up.”

 

“That’s from a _book,_ Mido. A work of fiction.”

 

“Your love life’s a work of fiction,” Mido sneered, cheering himself. In his back pocket Link spotted a beer bottle.

 

“Aren’t Kokiri not allowed to drink?” Navi asked.

 

“Yeah,” Link realized, glaring at Mido. “How the hell did you get someone to give you alcohol?!”

 

“None of your business.”

 

“Link, forget it. We’ll let him deal with the hangover later.”

 

Music continued to play as Link, sitting on the balcony, watched the fireworks from the town square fly up. Navi watched in amazement as they exploded into brilliant colors and patterns. It was essentially a closeup of what fairies could do.

 

“They always do it a few hours early,” Zelda walked up to join him.

 

“Probably to get people hyped for the new year.”

 

“What are you doing up here? Everyone’s downstairs.”

 

“I dunno… just confused, I guess. This is my first big party and all.”

 

“Need a few?”

 

“Yeah, that’d be cool.”

 

Zelda walked through the hallway to rejoin the group. On the way, she ran into Mido… who seemed to be _waiting_ for her.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Hey, gorgeous.”

 

“I don’t do flattery.”

 

“That’s fine with me. Anyways, I was just wondering if you and I could take it to the bedroom.”

 

“Sorry, but who are you again? I don’t remember giving you an invitation.”

 

“Name’s Mido. That ring a bell, sweet cheeks?”

 

“Oh, yes it does! You’re the kid who loaned us his video camera!”

 

“That’s what you remember me for?! Oh, come on!”

 

Zelda couldn’t be bothered to listen any more. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”

 

“Then what’d you invite me for?!”

 

“I… didn’t.”

 

Mido paused for a minute, as if he had somehow deluded himself into thinking he was invited.

 

“You’re lucky I let you stay this long.”

 

Mido grumbled some expletives and rejoined some of his fellow partygoers downstairs. He left not five minutes later. As the evening began to wind down, Zelda went back to the balcony to talk to Link.

 

“Y’know, Link, if those assholes Ganondorf parties with had any good ideas, it was that they make sure only the people they invite show up.”

 

“Yeah, I gotta agree on that one.”

 

“Join us downstairs. We’re gonna watch the events in Town Square as the year ends.”

 

“If you insist.”

  


_~December 31, 11:59 PM- Five Seconds to the New Year~_

 

“Five!”

 

“Four!”

 

“Three!”

 

“Two!”

 

“One!”

 

A cacophony of cheers erupted from both the partygoers in the Nohansen household and the citizens on TV. Most of the guests soon began to pile out. Mayor Nohansen would not be out for much longer, and Zelda found it easier to send the guests home before he came back than after.

 

“Did you have fun?” Zelda asked Link.

 

“Yeah, but I think I’ll save the parties for when I’m in college from now on.”

 

“I get it. Too much noise.”

 

“Thanks for inviting me out!”

 

Returning to Kokiri Circle, Link walked past the front gates only to find Mido angrily glaring at him. He reeked of alcohol, to the point that even Ingo would find it too much. Between this and his horrible attitude, Link and Navi silently compared guesses on how long he would last until the Great Deku Tree kicked him out.

 

“What?” Link glared back at Mido.

 

“Whaddya mean ‘what’, shitstain?! That Zelda chick… she rejected all my advances!”

 

“What the fuck does that have to do with me?”

 

“I saw you two hang out tonight… what the hell did you do that convinced her to hang with you and not me?!”

 

“First of all, I’m not an asshole.”

 

“Shut your mouth, blondie!”

 

“I think you’ve had too much to drink,” Link remarked in a deadpan tone. “Go to bed.”

 

“I have not!” Mido yelled back.

 

Link shook his head before locking the door to his cabin.

 

“I changed my guess,” Navi commented after Link was secure in bed.

 

“New year, new me, I guess. Is that how the saying goes?”

 

“I think so. Got any resolutions?”

 

“Yeah, but I probably won’t get any done until next year, so I won’t bother listing them.”

 

“Fair.”

 

“Happy New Year, Navi.”

 

“Right back at ya, Link.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, wasn't this story a Malink story? I mean, it's in the tags, it forms one of the main conflicts, so it has to be somewhere. Yet so far, it really isn't. At least, not on an actual romantic scale.
> 
> Well, that begins to change next chapter...


	20. Secret's Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the number of people Link had told about his crush, it was only a matter of time before one of them went and told Malon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally. Truth be told, I've been waiting to write this one for ages.

Returning to school was nothing short of a drag for the students and faculty of Hyrule Academy. Absolutely nobody was ready for winter break to be over, not even the staff. Rauru in particular looked like he hadn’t had his coffee when reopening the gates. Link knew that feeling all too well.

 

“Poor guy needs a latte,” Saria observed. “He looks like he hasn’t had a good night’s rest in a week.”

 

“Let’s be honest for a minute- has anyone here had a good night’s rest?” Link asked her.

 

“Well, for your information I slept very well last night.”

 

Ganondorf pulled up to the front gate wearing the academy’s specialized jacket. Hyrule Academy stood out from other schools of its caliber in that it didn’t require students to wear uniforms. However, Ganondorf bought one of the sports jackets they had on sale, choosing to wear it with pride. Most students walked up to Ganondorf to say hello or congratulate him for chugging seventeen beers at Ghirahim’s party on New Year’s Eve. Link simply continued to walk to homeroom. The last thing he wanted to do was to stick around for Ganondorf of all people.

 

“Why,  _ hello, _ Fairy Boy!”

 

Link’s relief upon hearing that phrase was dashed when he realized it was not Malon saying it. Of course it wouldn’t be. She was home sick that day, having come down with a cold while out in Castle Town Square. Navi was also at the ranch resting. After the incident during the blizzard, she had grown more easily tired, and today was one such bout of that.

 

“Don’t worry ‘bout me,” she pushed Link away, “I’ll return to school with you tomorrow.”

 

But now was no time to dwell on that.

 

“Go on without me,” Link told Saria, “I’ll catch up later.”

 

“But you don’t like Ruto, and for good reason, I might add-”

 

“I’d rather have to deal with her alone than rope you into it. Just trust me.”

 

Saria relented and moved on ahead.

 

“Well there you are, sweetie pie!”

 

“What do you want, Ruto? And why the hell are you calling me Fairy Boy?”

 

“The redhead does it!”

 

“Yeah, but you’re just saying it to try and soften me up.”

 

“Fine, I’ll call you something else.”

 

“No,” Link shook his head. “Don’t call me anything. For the last damn time, I’m not interested in pursuing a relationship with you!”

 

“Well, why not?!”

 

“You’re rude, demanding, and self-centered, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You act like a bitch to anyone around you because your father’s some rich guy and he’s spoiled you rotten.”

 

“How  _ dare _ you!!”

 

Link walked off and ignored Ruto’s yelling.

 

“Get back here! I am  _ not _ through with you!”

 

Link quickly rejoined Saria. Noticing her friend again, Saria began to ask questions.

 

“What’s her deal?”

 

“Don’t ask.”

 

“Okay. Why’s she got a thing for you? You’d think that she’d be some gold digger like Nabooru.”

 

“Holy crap, never expected you to say something so blunt.”

 

“What else  _ can _ I say? I mean, just look at her! Hold on, what does she even see in you? No offense.”

 

“I’m not quite sure. I think she just wants somebody to worship her 24/7.”

 

“What, she doesn’t have her own fanclub for that?”

 

…

 

Malon grumbled. She had met a rather nice boy in Castle Town Square on New Year’s Eve, one who she thought might finally win her father over. If he was only worried about her protection, then this boy would pass with flying colors. But the boy recognized her as the girl whose father was a stubborn jackass, and decided to prioritize his own health by keeping away.

 

Not like it would have mattered, since when Malon asked her father if he was good enough, her father just shook his head. Was anybody good enough for a man as stubborn as her father? Did Malon want to know the answer?

 

Afterwards, Malon got into a massive argument with her father, ending with her going upstairs to her room, where, due to her fever, she remained for the past few days.

 

_ Goddamn, I’m stressed. I need to cool it a bit. Lucky for me there’s an easy way to do that. _

 

To put it bluntly, Malon was no stranger to relieving stress in a rather sexual manner. She had walked in on Link doing the same a few years ago when she went to Kokiri Circle. When she asked Link what the hell he was doing, he froze up quite a bit. Of course he would, though. His best friend had walked in on him masturbating and then had the nerve to ask what  _ he _ was doing. When he mentioned how it helped him destress quite a bit, Malon grew curious. She tried it at home, and quite simply, it was one of the best feelings in her life. Link was right. But considering the sexual nature of what she was doing, it was no wonder her father never brought up such a topic. Malon had to question if even her mother would have said anything about it.

 

“I’d rather not go into any more detail,” Link had wrapped up his explanation with. “I don’t even like talking to Navi about it. It’s one of the few times I make her leave me alone.”

 

Resting on the coffee table downstairs, Navi was awoken by the sound of a moan. Odd. More confusing to Navi was definitely the fact that these moans were coming from Malon’s room, of all people.

 

She expected something from Ingo’s cabin. Hell, maybe even Grog’s cabin or Talon’s room. But certainly not from Malon’s room.

 

Eventually, curiosity got the better of Navi and she flew up to investigate. Swooping down under the door…

 

“Whoa! Whoa! Sorry, didn’t expect-”

 

Navi was interrupted by a scream louder than any moan from Ingo’s prostitutes. Malon scrambled to cover her lower half with a blanket.

 

“What the actual fuck are you doing here?! Get out!”

 

“Whatcha watching on your phone?” Navi asked upon regaining her hearing.

 

“Erm, it’s private-”

 

“C’mon, it’s no problem. I could tell you that most of the girls in Hyrule Academy watch porn, too.”

 

“What?! I swear that it’s not porn! I don’t even watch-”

 

“Then what’s the big deal?”

 

“Please, Navi, just-”

 

Navi ignored Malon and flew up at an angle she could see the contents of the phone at. It was a picture of Link taken around the time of homecoming that she had gotten from Zelda’s social media account. It took Navi all of five seconds to connect the dots.

 

“No way. No freaking way. Oh my Goddesses, this day couldn’t possibly get any better. Oh, gosh. I can’t believe it. Hold on, let me compose myself. Holy shit. Let me confirm something. You… like Link? Like, as in a crush? Do I have that right?”

 

Malon sputtered briefly before catching herself. “What? Are you fucking cuckoo?! That’s stupid!”

 

“Then why did I just catch you with your pants down to a picture of him?”

 

Now beet red, to the point that her face matched her hair in color, Malon finally relented. Of course the beans were spilled by an embarrassing incident like this. No grand confession. Just being caught with her pants around her ankles and a phone in her hand.

 

“Fine, I got a crush on Fairy Boy. I’ve had one for five years now. Just always been scared that my father would find out and drive him away, or that he wouldn’t like me back. Whole slew of problems just waiting to happen.”

 

“Valid fears.”

 

“Now what are ya clamorin’ on ‘bout this bein’ the best day ever or somethin’ like that?”

 

Silently, Navi asked Link for forgiveness for spilling his secret- even if it was going to work out.

 

“You will not believe me whatsoever.”

 

Malon shook her head in frustration. “Just fucking tell me!”

 

“Link’s got the hots for you too.”

 

Malon’s jaw dropped, her heart beating fast. She stared at Navi for ten solid seconds. A guy like Link, thinking that someone as unappealing as her was worth the time. It was a confusing concept.

 

“Fairy Boy… he’s got a crush on me, too?”

 

“Yeah, too bad he’s being a pussy by not saying anything. Leaving me to do all the work, as alw-”

 

“With a father like mine, he has every goddamn right to not say anything.”

 

“Okay, good point.”

 

“Wow… Fairy Boy… all this time-”

 

“Well, not all this time. It only began sometime after he took a job here.”

 

“You’re ruining the mood, Navi.”

 

“Holy shit, I gotta tell him!”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“What, you  _ don’t _ want me to tell the guy who really likes you that you like him back?”

 

“That’s not true. It’s just… maybe wait a bit?”

 

“Until  _ when, _ Malon?”

 

“I dunno…”

 

“He might not wait for long. I think Zelda’s got a thing for him-”

 

“Fine, tell him today.”

 

Navi cracked a grin- not that someone could see it.

 

…

 

Epona trotted out into the field as Link gazed at the cows in the pasture.

 

“That a girl, easy does it.”

 

“Hey, Link!"

 

The resulting surprise nearly caused Epona to buck off Link. Regaining composure, Link glared at Navi.

 

“Keep looking at me and you’ll have vision problems,” Navi reminded him. “Guess what?”

 

“Can it wait? I’m kind of doing my job.”

 

“Okay, okay. I’ve only got the best news in the past year.”

 

“Okay, Navi. What is it?”

 

“You’ll never believe this- Malon… she likes you too! Like, she’d be DTF, if you know what I’m-”

 

“Wait, really?! She… likes me? As in,  _ that _ way?”

 

“You bet your green cap she does!”

 

Link stared in shock and awe.

 

“Wait, where is she?”

 

“Hey, where are you going? I thought you were doing your job.”

 

“I hate it when you use my own words against me, you know that?”

 

“You brought that on yourself.”

 

“Hold on a second. How do you even know she has a crush on me?”

 

“I had all day today to snoop around. You could say I found the jackpot.”

 

Dinner on the ranch was more than a little awkward. Link could tell Malon was seeing right through him with the way she looked at him. She totally knew, but to what extent she knew was unclear.

 

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Navi whispered to Link. Link swatted at her in response.

 

Shortly after finishing his cucco leg, Link went upstairs. Waiting until her father was distracted, Malon followed him.

 

“Fairy Boy?”

 

“Yeah, Mal?”

 

“We need to talk. Like, right now.”

 

Closing the door to Malon’s bedroom, Malon sat down on her bed and cleared her throat.

 

“So, a little birdie told me something interesting.”

 

Link immediately grasped the meaning and angrily glared at Navi.

 

“You fucking  _ told _ her?! You  _ told _ her without me knowing?!”

 

“You can thank me later… jeez, you’re pissed. Sorry, Link. I just thought I was helping you out.”

 

Link sighed. “I mean, if what you say is true, it will have helped.”

 

Malon nodded. “Link, I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to do this on my own terms ever again. So I’ll just come out and say it right now.”

 

She gulped, and opened her mouth.

 

“Link, I love you. I always have. I always will.”

 

Malon held the back of Link’s head and kissed him. Soon they were full-on making out. Navi gagged at the sight, but composed herself and cheered for Link.

 

“About damn time,” Navi said at last.

 

After what seemed to be hours (but was still a few minutes), Link and Malon both came up for air.

 

“Best damn kiss of my life,” Link said, starstruck.

 

“First damn kiss of mine,” Malon remarked shyly.

 

Suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over Link. Everyone in the room knew why.

 

“You do know that… we can’t act on this very much. We kinda have to remain apart for the time being.”

 

“Right… my father.”

 

“He’d flay me alive if he found out what I just did to his daughter.”

 

Malon pulled Link closer to her.

 

“Well, I’ll be damned if you don’t enjoy yourself before then,” she whispered before kissing him again.

 

“You should probably stop before you get sick,” Navi warned Link. “Pretty sure Malon’s still got a fever.”

 

Malon pulled back, evidently agreeing with Navi.

 

“I should go soon. With my luck, Talon’s walking up the stairs as we speak.”

 

But he wasn’t. He was cleaning up the dinner plates, still unaware as Link walked by.

 

“Hey, sir, I’m gonna head home.”

 

“Sure thing. See you tomorrow, boy.”

 

Link smiled back. “You too.”

 

Link saw a peculiar sight upon returning to Kokiri Circle- Mido… conversing with  _ Ruto _ of all people. He couldn’t hear any part of their conversation before Ruto walked away, but the fact that Ruto was there at all meant something bad. She must’ve been looking for him. Link ducked behind a garbage can, narrowly avoiding her.

 

“Never thought you of all people would get a date with Ruto,” Link talked to Mido.

 

“Date? Naw, she ain’t my date.”

 

“Then why was she here? Talking to you?”

 

Mido cracked a grin. “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough.”

 

Link scowled. “Cut the shit, Mido. You better tell me.”

 

“I don’t pry into your business, so don’t pry into mine.”

 

For the first time in his life, Link conceded that Mido had a point in that he shouldn’t pry into others’ lives. But Mido was notoriously nosy, so the fact that he was being so hypocritical didn’t sit well with Link.

 

And neither did the fact that someone so critical as Ruto, someone who he  _ knew _ hated Mido, was talking to him so casually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Out of the frying pan, into the fire, they say. And the fire's only just begun.


	21. Out of the Frying Pan… Into the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when Link thinks he has life sorted out, it takes everything he has and burns it down in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, one of the chapters I've planned ever since the plot of Talon being overprotective was conceived has been fleshed out. Poor Link can't catch a break.

Love was tough when it was forbidden, that much Link could tell without breaking a sweat. Though he and Malon each knew the other’s love for them, they could not act on these feelings, lest Talon find out and punish both accordingly. Of course, when Link finally found somebody who genuinely loved him, there had to be some other problem that kept the two apart. It couldn’t just be that easy.

 

However, that didn’t mean Link couldn’t tell everyone he knew about his recent victory.

 

“Hey, Saria!” Link called out to her on his doorstep.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“I gotta tell you something.”

 

“Sure,” Saria walked up, following Link into the cabin, where they closed the door. “What is it, Link? Something exciting happen to you or something?”

 

“You can’t tell anybody unless I say so. I mean it.”

 

“Okay, just tell me!”

 

“So, I may have kissed Malon. And it was amazing!”

 

“No way!” Saria smiled. “That’s awesome!”

 

“Yeah, only problem is her father. But other than that, I’m golden! She likes me back! I can’t believe it went so smoothly!”

 

“I’m so happy for you!” Saria jumped up and hugged Link.

 

“Stay there a minute,” Link instructed. “I’m gonna take a brief walk.”

 

As Link left, Saria slumped over. Her pleasant smile switched over to unparalleled sadness, tears streaming down her face.

 

“Dammit, Saria, don’t be like this! You knew that he’d find someone at some point! You knew it wouldn’t work out between you and him! And what, you’re still upset? Over something you can’t even control? Over something you knew would end like this? Goddesses, you did this song and dance when he first went out with Nabooru, why is this such an issue?!”

 

Saria composed herself and calmed down.

 

“Okay. If Malon were in my shoes and I were in hers, she would most likely be happy for Link. That’s what I’ll do for her. After all he’s been through, that’s the least I can do.”

 

“Okay, I’m back- have you been crying?”

 

Saria shook her head. “I’m fine, Link. I’m alright.”

 

“Hey, I’m going with Zelda to the arcade later today. Want to join us?”

 

“Sure, that sounds nice.”

 

Darunia and Zelda responded to Link’s revelation with similar joy to Saria’s. Darunia in particular responded with a back pat so powerful it could have broken Link’s back.

 

“Remember,” Link lectured to both of them, “you _cannot_ tell anybody. Not at all. Nobody. If I find out that you’ve told somebody without my explicit permission, I will never forgive you. Okay, maybe not never. But it’ll be a long time before I do.”

 

“You can count on me, brother,” Darunia grinned. “These lips are sealed tighter than a bag of Bombchus.”

 

Zelda nodded when Link warned her. “Don’t worry, Link. If I told anybody, you’d know as soon as I said the first sentence. Any gossip passed through my friends spreads like wildfire.”

 

“What does that mean for me?”

 

“It means your secret is more than safe, because if it weren’t you’d know immediately.”

 

“Thanks, Zelda.”

 

Over the course of the next few days, nothing much seemed to change. Link, however, was in a much happier mood, something most of the students of Hyrule Academy had taken quick note of.

 

Much to their chagrin, Link and Malon could only continue to remain friends. They each promised the other that they would start a relationship soon after Malon was moved out of the ranch and onto college. However, that didn’t make the wait any less arduous.

 

“You gotta know how painful it is, Navi,” Link sat on his bed. “Y’know, being aware that the love of my life shares my affections, but neither of us can act on it.”

 

“Personally? No, I don’t. Fairies don’t really do romance. But I feel for you, Link. Really, I do. Give it five or six months, and you’ll be free to pursue whatever you want with her.”

 

“I know that much, Navi. But I’m not sure how long I can wait.”

 

“Well, how did you manage after Nabooru and you split?”

 

“You know as well as I do that I didn’t. I barely even functioned in the months following that.”

 

“Okay, bad example. Then just go with how you managed when you had a crush but didn’t know it was requited.”

 

“Yeah, I guess that’s what I’ll do. Just a few more months. After spring break, I’ve got finals, and then that’s that. I graduate and start the next phase of my life.”

 

“Don’t forget, the academy’s planning a weeklong trip to Termina after spring break.”

 

“I haven’t. All of the Kokiri seem to be excited.”

 

“Not Mido.”

 

“Yeah, well, when is he ever?”

 

…

 

He couldn’t believe what he had been told just an hour prior. It was something he’d dreaded for years to come. And now, it was reality.

 

Talon returned to his office. He had been right to keep an eye on Link. He had been betrayed by the one he knew the most.

 

“Dad!” Malon called out. “One of the cuccos got loose-”

 

Talon turned towards Malon, with a look that meant trouble.

 

“Did you… did you know? Did you fucking know?!”

 

“Know what?”

 

“Don’t play _stupid_ with me, girl! I’m more than aware of Link’s feelings fer ya, so can the fucking crap an’ tell me if you’ve known!”

 

A look of horror settled on Malon’s face. “What are you talking about, Dad? He doesn’t like me in that way! He’s got feelings for someone else!”

 

“Then _who_ is it?”

 

“T-That Zelda girl he went to homecoming with! H-He told me he was planning to tell her how he felt!” Malon wasn’t sure how good she was at lying, but considering the alternative, she knew she had to try.

 

Talon saw right through her. “We will discuss this later. Fer now I’ve got some business to attend to with my latest employee.”

 

Talon dialed a number on his phone. Whether or not his daughter knew (and he actually wasn’t sure), Link most certainly did like her.

 

“Yeah, sir?”

 

“Ye better haul yer ass to me office right now. _We need to talk._ Just us.”

 

The pure malice in his voice told Link he was in serious trouble. But for what, he didn’t quite know.

 

All he could do was hope that it wasn’t for what he felt it was.

 

Meanwhile, Malon could only wonder how her father found out. What- or who- had clued him in?

 

…

 

Link hadn’t been in Talon’s office since his job interview. At least Talon didn’t seem to be taking it so seriously. He was asleep in his chair, and had been since Link entered. Link silently debated leaving and dealing with him at a later date. But before he could get up, Talon suddenly snapped awake.

 

“Huh? Oh, it’s you. Sit tight, we got a lotta things t’ talk about.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Well, it has come to my attention that you have some… complicated… feelings for my daughter.”

 

“Complicated? Is that what you’d say?”

 

“Yes, I would. Because I couldn’t make it clearer that she’s _off-limits,_ and yet you pursue her anyways! I gotta know, son, why’d you do it?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Why do ye like her?”

 

Link gulped. “Well, what’s not to like about her? She’s nice, she’s always a sight for sore eyes, and she’s got the best singing voice I’ve ever heard.”

 

“I don’t mean that. I mean, why do you think I’d react any different to you than the other boys?”

 

Link’s expression grew dark. “I don’t. There’s a reason I never said anything.”

 

“Fair, I suppose. But I can’t just let ye get off scot-free fer tryin’ to date my daughter.”

 

“Sir-”

 

“You’re fired, Link.”

 

“Wait, what?!”

 

“I ain’t kidding. Yer fired, boy! Get yer stuff from the cabin out back and take a hike! I don’t want to see you near this ranch ever again!”

 

“Sir, I live within a fifteen minute walk-”

 

“If I see you cross the front gates, there will be _issues,_ son. I’m already considering taking actions regarding the two of you at school, so don’t test me.”

 

Link stared at Talon for a solid minute. Finally, he got up and left. He passed by Malon while carrying his things from the cabin.

 

“Did you tell him?” Link asked her.

 

“What? I wouldn’t dare. If I told him, _I’d_ be in trouble, since that reveals I knew.”

 

Link sighed. “You know, he’s probably gonna try and keep us apart at school.”

 

“I know that. And as much as I hate to say it, nobody’s gonna stop him. I can try to speak with the headmaster, but I don’t think this is a fight I get to cast my lot in.”

 

“It was fun knowing you. See you around, whenever I- no, _if_ I ever- get the chance.”

 

“Bye, Fairy Boy.”

 

Link disappeared behind the front gate, which Talon soon locked.

 

“Well, now I gotta hire a new herder. Mal?”

 

“What?”

 

“If I find out you’ve been talkin’ to that casanova wannabe at school, I’ll take action myself.”

 

“He just wanted to go out with me, is that such a crime?!”

 

“I _trusted_ him!”

 

“No, you didn’t! I’m well aware of the fact that you had Navi report to you, so just stop pretending this is some grand betrayal! Besides, he’s had shitty luck with romance all his life, why couldn’t you at least let him have his day this one time?!”

 

“Wait… do you _like_ him?”

 

Malon immediately realized the implications of what she said and covered her mouth.

 

“Are ye saying that, had he asked you out, ye would have _agreed?!_ Is that what I’m getting from ye, miss?!”

 

Malon ran indoors and locked herself in her room.

 

“We will talk later,” Talon scowled.

 

…

 

“Are you done moping around? This isn’t much different from the past few years!”

 

“You’re ignoring the fact that I can’t see Malon again for the next half a year!”

 

“Yes you can! You share a bus, you share _two_ periods at school-”

 

“Talon’s likely taken care of both of them.”

 

“It’s only six months! After that, she’s moved out, you’re onto college, boom, everyone’s happy!”

 

Link turned onto his side.

 

“Just yesterday, I had a decent-paying job, a close friend who wanted more than that, and life was good. Today, I lost all that.”

 

“Are we having another Nabooru situation here? You spent months moping around your room!”

 

“Navi…”

 

“What, Link?”

 

“Be a hundred percent honest with me. Did you tell him a thing?”

 

“What?!”

 

“Answer my question!!”

 

“What would I have to gain by telling him?!”

 

Link sighed and rubbed his temple. “Sorry, Navi. I just know that _someone_ told him. There’s no way he figured it out on his own, and I guess I’m a bit on edge regarding everyone I told.”

 

“Hey, Link!” Saria called from outside. “Everything alright?”

 

“I just lost more than you could ever know.”

 

“Quit being melodramatic!” Navi scolded.

 

It took all of three seconds for Saria to grasp what Link was saying. “He found out, didn’t he?”

 

“Well, not about the kiss. About the crush. I got fired, and he’s getting ready to separate us at school, too.”

 

“Oh my gosh, Link, I am so sorry to hear that.”

 

“Did you tell him?”

 

“I’ve never even met Talon in my life. To him, I’m probably just some Kokiri from across the street. Even if I told him, why would he believe me?”

 

“And I know you’re considering Zelda and Darunia as options,” Navi pointed out. “It’s the same deal with them. Nothing to gain from it-”

 

“Well, Zelda does have a confirmed crush on me. She’d have me all to herself if she told Talon and provided proof of it.”

 

“True.”

 

“So, whoever told Talon had something to gain from it, and proof to back it up.”

 

“Proof like… a recording of you mentioning a crush.”

 

“A recording on something like… maybe a video camera.”

 

Link looked up at Saria.

 

“Where’s Mido?”

 

“In his room playing Counter Strike: Hyrulean Offensive. Why?”

 

Link promptly stormed out of his cabin. Within the next minute Saria heard a loud snap, followed by Mido screaming. Rushing outside and looking into Mido’s cabin, she saw Mido’s headset broken in two, and Link gripping Mido by the collar.

 

“You told him, you little shitbird! I know you did, so stop playing stupid and confess already!”

 

“I don’t know what you’re saying! I didn’t tell nobody anything!”

 

“Link!” the Deku Tree echoed.

 

Link slowly turned around to face his father-figure.

 

“Put Mido down. Now.”

 

Link did as instructed, and Mido scrambled to run.

 

“Return at once, Mido. You are not exempt from this.”

 

Mido crawled back, quivering in fear of Link.

 

“I _told_ you not to say a word to Mr. Lon.”

 

“And I didn’t! Honestly, I didn’t tell him!”

 

“Mido…”

 

“Fine, I provided the video footage to back up the word of the person who did tell him. But I didn’t tell him about the crush! I really didn’t!”

 

“Then who did, jackass?!” Link yelled.

 

“Sheesh, calm down.”

 

“Calm down?! I just lost my job, and am forbidden from seeing one of my best friends, because of your stupid plan to provide footage, and for what? So you could ruin my life?! Are you that much of a bottom-feeder, you can’t stop at ruining your own life?! After all that you’ve done to me, you decide to tell me to calm down?! I could wring you out right here, and nobody could stop me, you half-pint, ear-splitting, basement-dwelling incel with no hope for a decent life!!”

 

“Link…” the Deku Tree butted in. “I shall punish Mido accordingly. You, however, are to replace the headset you broke, and apologize to Mido for your actions.”

 

“I’ll apologize when this jackass gets me my job back!” Link yelled, storming off.

 

“Why would you even do this to him?” the Deku Tree asked. “What would you get out of it?”

 

“First off, it’s cathartic to see Link get his just desserts. Second off, I’ve got a thing for the chick he liked.”

 

“So by helping this mystery person get Link away from Miss Lon, you would try to get close to her yourself?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What makes you think you’d be treated any differently?”

 

“Well, uh…”

 

“Mido, I am concluding that you did not think this plan through beyond ruining Link’s life.”

 

“Hey! That’s… huh. Well, I’ll think of something!”

 

“You will do no such thing. I told you not to inform Mr. Lon, and though it may have not been directly, you still provided a key piece of information. In violating my wishes, you shall be grounded for a week, starting at supper.”

 

“But Link broke my headset! He should be punish-”

 

“And he is. He has to buy a new one from his own pocket.”

 

Mido grumbled and went to his room. Taking his phone out, he dialed a number and waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

 

“Hello? Yeah, it’s me, Mido. ‘Who’s Mido’? Are you amnesiac or something? I’m the Kokiri who got you the footage of Link mentioning his crush! How’d that go? It worked perfectly. He got fired and is banned from seeing her by her father. Yep, he’s all yours. Just leave me the Lon girl. Okay, bye.”

 

Mido put away his phone. Now, the next step of his plan was set to begin. With Link being fired, there was now a job opening. He just had to get that job, and he’d be as close to Malon as he wanted. Only problem was the girl’s father. But he’d work something out. He overheard Link saying that Malon’s father was looking for someone trustworthy, who could protect his daughter. So long as he acted like he could be that person, he was golden. It was all so simple, really. He just had to hold out and wait long enough so that nobody he didn’t factor in would ever ruin his plans. It was genius. It was-

 

“Mido?”

 

“Saria?!” Mido jumped up in shock.

 

“Why, Mido? Why would you do that to Link? Ruining his life isn’t enough, now you have to take his place?”

 

“How much of what I said was out loud?”

 

“All of it, Mido.”

 

“How much did you hear?”

 

“I heard enough of it. Mido, what’s wrong with you? You’ve had it out for Link ever since he first arrived at Kokiri Circle nearly eight years ago.”

 

“Well, it first began when you started hanging out with him more than me! I was your best friend! And suddenly, it was like I didn’t matter to you. Like I was some forgotten aspect of your life!”

 

“Mido, sometimes, friends drift. But I’ll tell you that no matter how much I hung out with Link, no matter where I went, I always considered you my friend too. I kept you in mind with a smile.”

 

Mido stared at Saria, dumbfounded.

 

“Even when the other Kokiri began to hate you because you were so loud, and in their eyes, obnoxious, I didn’t stop caring. Sure, it was annoying to hear you yell about… something, but I still thought of you as a friend. Even with your subpar and frankly appalling behavior towards the girls at Hyrule Academy, I never stopped thinking of you as a friend. But this? All for some petty act of revenge for whatever you think Link did to wrong you? This is too much, Mido. Stop it. Or I may stop viewing you so kindly. Even I have a limit.”

 

Mido ignored her.

 

“I’ll leave you to think about it,” Saria turned around as well, walking away. She knew Mido wouldn’t just change. She knew he didn’t regret what he did to sabotage Link, and knew he wouldn’t for a while, even after all she had said.

 

But she could hope that he’d at least stop while he was ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even somebody as cheerful as Saria knows where to draw the line. Too bad Mido has no problems crossing it.


	22. Prelude of Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month after he was fired, Link is called down to Rauru's office, where he gains the insight that even without Malon in his life, there are other ways to count down the months until he can see her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link's normally a stoic, well-meaning kid. But even those kinds of people have a breaking point, and with all that's happened it's safe to say he's been pushed past his.

“Geez, Link, you smell like absolute shit. Have you been skipping out on showers?”

 

“What?! I may be a brooding shut-in, but I still take care of my basic hygiene!”

 

“That’s odd… you smell like… alcohol? Link, have you been… ya know, drinking?”

 

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

 

Taking his recent circumstances into account, it would be easy to mistake Link for somebody the Kokiri had recently picked off of the streets. In the month since he was fired, Link had completely disregarded every aspect of his life. He began to drown his sorrows in alcohol, though he always had to drink in bars, since alcohol was banned in Kokiri Circle, and had to do so when Navi was asleep, since she rightfully tried to keep him from drinking nearly every day. He also stopped shaving regularly, and now had a thin coat of facial hair. It was hard to tell Link was even the same person as the hard-working, lovestruck kid from a month ago. As far as Link was concerned, that kid had died when Talon fired him.

 

Malon had been removed from both of the periods she shared with Link- she was assigned to a different cafeteria for lunch, and a different class for gym. When Link went to Rauru to protest, he sympathized with Link, but did not change his ruling.

 

“You know, Mr. Forrester, Miss Lon came in here just the other day to protest this as well. My sympathies, but unless Mr. Lon allows otherwise, I cannot and will not place you two back in the same courses.”

 

Likewise, Talon began driving Malon to and from school, meaning that Malon was effectively removed from every part of Link’s life. Link tried to have Navi act as a messenger between the two, but Talon had planned for this and invested in a Bubble that he now kept within the house. Bubbles were effectively the antithesis to everything a fairy was (to the point that they were also known as Anti-Fairies), and simply being within a hundred feet of one was enough to drain Navi of mass amounts of energy, forcing her to turn back.

 

“That guy’s got everything planned,” Navi explained while catching her breath.

 

“Guess I pissed him off enough to warrant that.”

 

As Navi recalled all this, she made a final decision in her head.

 

“Link, we need to talk. You can’t just go on like this, wallowing in despair. This will resolve itself in time, you just need to be patient enough to wait.”

 

“And what do I do to pass that time?”

 

“I dunno, something! Anything at all! It’d be better than what you’re doing to yourself now!”

 

Link stared at Navi absent-mindedly. In doing so, he looked at her too directly, causing him to briefly go blind.

 

“Son of a bitch… well, I guess I was bound to have that happen to me someday.”

 

“Link, please! You’re the kid who faced years of adversity and puts on a brave face despite all of it. You’re the kid who keeps on trucking no matter how bad it gets. That’s the Link I grew to be close to. This other Link? That’s not you. You’re not some mopey teen who cries whenever something bad happens to him!”

 

“And what if I am, Navi?”

 

“Then you’re not the kid I became friends with. So get off your ass and stop brooding! Find something to do, something to take your mind off of Malon! And at the same time, have it be something that’s not so self-destructive!”

 

Link sat on his bed for a solid minute, as if lost in thought.

 

“Link?”

 

“You’re right. I’m better than this. My name is Link Forrester, and I won’t let my pitfalls define me! No more of this!”

 

“That’s the spirit!”

 

Link left for the restrooms. There was one set of restrooms in Kokiri Square, something all Kokiri had to share, since their cabins were single rooms. Link pulled out a razor and began shaving.

 

“I always considered you better looking without the facial hair. With the beard, you don’t look like a Link. You look more like a… I dunno, just not like a Link.”

 

“So, what do you propose I do?”

 

“Well, I heard that the martial arts dojo in Kakariko is hosting fencing classes.”

 

Kakariko was a small district located within the Eldin suburbs of Castle Town. It contained most of Castle Town’s Sheikah population, including Deputy Headmistress Impa. Link had only been there on a few occasions, and he didn’t know much about it.

 

“What, do you think I’m in the best shape mentally to be handling a sword?”

 

“That’s why they have referees and shit! So nobody gets hurt!”

 

“Remember what happened to Shiro last year? Refs don’t outright stop any accidents from happening.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t think anyone protested when they closed the fencing club down in response. Poor guy’s leg never fully healed after that.”

 

“…”

 

“We can talk about this some other time, Link. I get that you’re not really ready to at the moment.”

 

“I think that that’s best for now.”

 

…

 

“Mr. Forrester?”

 

“Yes, Ms. Funday?”

 

“The headmaster wishes to speak with you.”

 

Link slowly eased out of his chair before leaving the room. What did Rauru wish to say to him?

 

“Perhaps Rauru had a change of heart regarding Malon,” Navi proposed.

 

“Yeah, no way. If he did, I’ll grow out my beard again and eat it.”

 

“Please don’t put that image in my head.”

 

“You’ve seen worse from me.”

 

“Yeah, but mostly normal teenager things. Eating a beard is… not at all normal.”

 

Headmaster Rauru’s office was as uninviting as Link remembered it. The chairs outside were all empty, leaving Link to sit down in one. A kid was just now leaving the office. The angry look in his eyes suggested he had gotten detention or something of the like.

 

“Ah, Mr. Forrester. Please, take a seat in the chair across from me.”

 

Link did as instructed. Soon, Rauru got to the heart of the matter.

 

“For starters, I am rather worried for you. You appear to be coming to classes rather disheveled, and your grades- especially calculus- have begun to slip. All I am asking is, what’s wrong?”

 

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

 

“No, no, you are _not_ weaseling out of this one,” Navi cut in. “He’s upset because he can’t see one of his only friends and mutual crush for the rest of the school year and you won’t do a thing to change that.”

 

“Well,” Rauru gazed at Link. “I see. Unfortunately, unless Mr. Lon budges, I will not. But have you considered finding something to maybe occupy yourself during that time you cannot see her?”

 

“Navi and I talked about it once.”

 

“Well, I suggest spending time with your remaining friends. That could help pass the days. That Kokiri girl, Saria, I know you two hang out. Spend some time with her.”

 

“That’s a good idea,” Link considered it. “Haven’t really talked to her since before this all went down.”

 

“Uh-huh. Yes, I suppose that would work well. Is there anything else you wish to talk about?”

 

“Eh, not at this point.”

 

“Also, I recommend joining one of the clubs we have available at Hyrule Academy. That would let you make some new friends.”

 

“What clubs do we have?”

 

The next fifteen minutes were spent reviewing the answer to this question. Hundreds were listed, but not one Link took an interest in.

 

“Mr. Forrester, for your sake, I hope you can pick up the pieces and rebuild, otherwise life may have harsher trials in store for you.”

 

Link got up from his chair and prepared to leave.

 

“Goddesses know I’ll try, Headmaster.”

 

As Link and Navi returned to calculus, Navi began to ask questions.

 

“So, what’s next on your agenda?”

 

“Probably just spending time with what friends I have left. They all kept trying to reach me during this past month, it’s only fair that I get back to them.”

 

“Remember Link, just five months now, and then everything can get back to normal.”

 

“I’ll certainly try to hope that’ll happen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next several chapters will place a spotlight on each of the Sages, including some much-needed depth for both Impa and Nabooru, both of whom haven't really been a major part of the plot (Impa has so far only been a background character, and Nabooru has so far only been a way to kickstart the conflict between Link & Ganondorf). The other sages have gotten much more time to shine- even Rauru, whose major conflict stems from the fact that his job is at the mercy of the school bully's parents. Malon herself won't have much of a role in these chapters, mostly because I'm planning to have a whole chapter focusing on her perspective of the fallout of Chapter 21.


	23. Minuet of Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even close friends for years have secrets they hide from each other- and Saria's are only now coming to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, here's the second of six Sage-focused chapters, this one about Saria.

“Hmm, how about a few community projects as well? I know it’s not for five months, but I’m sure that you could always be of some help getting everything running and ready for the summer fair. There are a lot of stands that need to be set up, not to mention the rides.”

 

“Yeah, community work would certainly pass the time. Hell, I’d probably age a year just by cleaning Castle Town Park once. That place is absolutely massive.”

 

“Link! Now is not the time for jokes!”

 

“Hey, you would have said it if I didn’t.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose I would have. So what do you think you should do?”

 

“I don’t really know.”

 

“Hey, isn’t Saria going to water the Deku Tree’s seeds tomorrow?”

 

“Yep, she is. Forgot about that.”

 

“You know, why don’t you ask if you can join her? Maybe get to bond with each other a bit more?”

 

Link sighed in frustration, evidently not that happy to work again. “I guess it can’t really hurt to try that.”

 

In reality, spending the next five months of his life doing volunteer work wouldn’t be all that bad to Link. Considering he had worked on a ranch for a while longer, doing much more exhausting and energy consuming work than simply cleaning up a park or watering some seeds, it would be mere child’s play at worst. But on the other hand, a solid month of inactivity had taken its toll, and Link could barely muster the energy to even care.

 

“I remember when you and Saria were inseparable. You did just about everything together.”

 

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, Navi. But sure, whatever you want to think.”

 

Link looked back outside his window, where he spotted Saria making her bed. She noticed him and waved.

 

“Goddesses, feels like an eternity ago I first met her.”

 

“Well, for the most part, it was. You’ve known her longer than you’ve known me, even.”

 

“Not much longer. Maybe a few days longer than you, at most.”

 

“That’s still longer.”

 

Link plopped back down onto his bed.

 

“Goddesses, those were the days… Just us two, not having to worry about life.”

 

 

 

_~July 2, Year 4041~_

 

The sound of a car driving away rang through Link’s ears. It seemed that the social workers or whatever they called themselves had left. Link was now on his own in an unfamiliar place. Turning to the giant tree he had seen the men talk to minutes before, Link hoped that he would get some answers.

 

“Um, Mr. Deku Tree sir, where am I?”

 

“You are in Kokiri Circle, my child. This shall be your home from now on, and the Kokiri shall be your family and friends.”

 

Link took a good look around. The Kokiri he did see didn’t look at all pleased to have to share their home with a Hylian.

 

“Um, they don’t look too happy-”

 

“They shall come around in time. It has been six years since a non-Kokiri last took up residence with us, so forgive them for being a little uneasy.”

 

“Sir!” a Kokiri girl with green hair rushed out of what looked to be a common bathroom. “The toilet’s clogged again- wait, hold on,” the girl spotted Link. “Well, hold on a minute! Just who are you?”

 

“This is Link Forrester, a Hylian child. He has spent the past four years in an orphanage over in the nearby Ordona district, and is now staying with us.”

 

Unlike the other Kokiri, this girl immediately sprouted a smile. “Well, nice to meet you, Link! My name’s Saria, and this here behind me is my guardian fairy!”

 

“A what?”

 

“You see,” the Deku Tree explained, “as a giant tree, I cannot move or supervise the Kokiri when they go outside the gates for schooling or entertainment. So I give them each a fairy to do that job for me. And when the Kokiri grow old enough to be trusted on their own, the fairies remain- not as guardians, but instead as friends.”

 

“Yeah!” Saria nodded excitedly.

 

“Well, I’d like to make friends, but I don’t really know anybody here.”

 

“That’s okay! I’ll be your friend!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, really. Wait, you don’t mind hanging out with a girl, do you?”

 

“If I want friends, I’m not about to turn down anyone who asks.”

 

“That’s great! We’ll have lots of fun together, I guarantee it!”

 

“I sure hope we will.”

 

“Hold on! Since you’re one of us now, you get to have a fairy of your own!”

 

“Wait, really?”

 

“Yes, really! But you know, we can take care of all that later. It’s not urgent.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Anyways, it’s great to see someone else in this little community!”

 

Saria skipped away happily. The Deku Tree seemed to realize what Saria was trying to say before Link was introduced, as by the time she was out of sight, the Deku Tree was calling after her.

 

“Hold on just one second! What was that about the toilet being clogged, miss?!”

 

As Link could recall, none of the other Kokiri were as enthusiastic to see Link as Saria was. Least enthusiastic of all was Mido, but he wasn’t openly hostile to Link yet. He was just grumpy and a bit bossy.

 

Fortunately, most of the Kokiri he lived with seemed to warm up to Link in time. Fado stopped pulling nasty pranks on him (especially when she learned that Link had been a frequent victim of them from bullies in the orphanage), the Know-It-All triplets had stopped acting like they were too good to even look at him, and in general, Link was more accepted as a member of the group.

 

It seemed that the Kokiri were determined to make sure his time with them was much better than his time in the orphanage. Which was something that Link had to admit was pretty nice of them.

 

Link would never forget the fact that Saria was so nice to him without being prompted, though. It was an act of kindness that he would treasure for as long as he lived.

  
  


_~February 17, 4049- Present Day~_

 

“Hey, Saria!”

 

“Hmm? Oh, hey Link!”

 

Saria immediately donned a wide smile, one greater than Link had ever seen.

 

“It’s great to see you outside of your own will again, at least after everything that’s happened with Talon. Wait, you _did_ come here of your own will, right?”

 

“Mostly? I’m not even sure myself, but I guess I’ll just say so.”

 

“Well, I guess that’s good enough. So, what do you wanna do? You clearly didn’t come here just to get some air.”

 

“I just wanted to ask if you needed some help watering the Deku seeds tomorrow.”

 

“Oh. Well, technically I don’t, but you’re more than welcome to join me in doing so regardless.”

 

“That’s what I was looking for. Thanks a lot, Saria.”

 

“No problem. It’s important to get out of the house, and I’m willing to help you do that in any capacity. Besides, I was hoping we could talk about some things.”

 

“Guess that’s settled, then.”

 

Saria happily skipped away as Link returned to his cabin.

 

“Well, guess we have work to do tomorrow.”

 

“Well, _you_ do. I kind of just float and accompany you.”

 

“You know what I mean.”

 

The rest of the day was mostly a blur, at least until dinnertime. For the past month, Link had been eating in his room instead of at the picnic tables with the other Kokiri. But Navi had finally gotten him to go eat with them this time.

 

As soon as Mido got his meal of mashed potatoes and cucco leg, he left for his room. Link took notice of this and was reminded of something he wanted to tell Navi.

 

“Y’know, Navi, _he_ always goes to eat in his room. Why’s it only a problem when I do it?”

 

“Do you _really_ want to be doing something that _Mido_ does?”

 

“No. But I just noticed something interesting. As he was walking to his room, he seemed kind of pissed off.”

 

“Well, maybe his game went south real fast.”

 

“That’s possible.”

 

The next day, Link arrived on time to help Saria with the seeds. While there, he asked a few questions of his own.

 

“Do you know what was up with Mido at dinner yesterday?”

 

“Him? You didn’t hear?”

 

“No, I didn’t. What’s up.”

 

“He went over to the Lon Lon Ranch to try and land a job there. He initially got the job, but things went sour when Talon’s daughter walked by and he tried to ask her out. Talon chased him away faster than I’ve ever seen the postman run.”

 

“You should know this- I only got fired because that asshole helped tell Talon of my crush. Now I get why- he thought he could take Malon for himself if I was out of the picture.”

 

“I’m already aware.”

 

“What?! You are?! How?”

 

“He blabbed his whole plan while I stood in the doorway. I still consider Mido a good friend of mine, but if he does more to harm others I don’t know if I could ever see him the same way again.”

 

“Wait, how long did you know?!”

 

“I didn’t find out until after you were fired. Believe me, if I knew beforehand I would have done everything in my power to warn you.”

 

“Alright, that makes sense. Y'know, personally, I think he’s got a thing for you.”

 

“Wait, really? What makes you think that?”

 

“Well, he seems to be mad that I’ve been taking more and more of your attention from him over the years.”

 

“In his defense, we were best friends before you showed up.”

 

“That is true, but considering that Mido has a crush on pretty much every girl he sees…”

 

“I mean, it would explain why he hates you a good bit. Not justify it, of course, but explain it.”

 

“It would.”

 

“Especially considering what he knows about me.”

 

“Hold on. He knows something about you?”

 

“Yeah. Honestly, considering the turn of events that he’s taken with you, in hindsight I’m curious as to why he hasn’t tried to hold it as leverage against me for something he’s ever wanted me to do.”

 

“If it’s not a problem with you, mind if I ask what it is?”

 

“Well, it concerns you… fine, I’ve spent too long holding it in anyways.”

 

Saria stopped watering the seeds and took a deep breath before letting everything spill.

 

“Ever since we first met, I’ve had a massive crush on you. When everyone was teasing us in fifth grade saying we were gonna get married, I know you dismissed it, but I was secretly hoping that we really would. I know it wouldn’t work family-wise because I’m a Kokiri, but I still held hopes nonetheless.”

 

“Really?” Link stood agape in shock.

 

“I mean, I thought it was kind of obvious-”

 

“Can it, Navi.”

 

Saria continued on. “When you told me about your kiss with Malon, I really did cry during your walk, because I was upset. I was upset and jealous of Malon. And I already know what you’re thinking, so I’ll just tell you now- I did not help inform Talon in any way whatsoever. I swear on the Deku Tree’s life I played no part in Mido’s scheme.”

 

“Even after what you’ve told me, I haven’t suspected you of a thing. You’re just not that kind of person.”

 

“Anyways, I loved you, Link. And I still do, and I always will until the day I die.”

 

Whether it was complex feelings rising to the surface or her relief at having the beans spilled overwhelming her, Saria fell to the ground crying. Link picked her up- effortlessly, given her stature- and cradled her softly.

 

“It’s okay, Saria. We’re still friends, none of that’s changed after this.”

 

“I know,” Saria gasped out between sobs, “I just needed to get that off of my chest. I’m sorry, Link.”

 

“No need to apologize for anything. It’s okay. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

 

Saria wiped away the tears remaining on her face. “Thanks, Link, for being there for me.”

 

“No problem, really.”

 

“I hope that things work out between you and Malon. Really, I do.”

 

“Thanks. That really means a lot.”

 

Carefully, Link set Saria back down. “Guess we kind of got sidetracked a bit, huh?”

 

“Yeah. We oughta get back to work.”

 

“Saria, if you ever want to talk, I’m there.”

 

“Got it, Link.”

 

The duo returned to work as Link looked back at Saria and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it obvious how much I like Saria yet? She's probably my favorite of the Sages. If this wasn't about Malink and the whole non-aging issue didn't exist, this story would probably end with Saria and Link hooking up. Spoiler alert: it doesn't, but that doesn't mean I haven't thought about it.


	24. Bolero of Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link travels with Darunia to a stadium in eastern Castle Town to watch a wrestling match. Oh, and he eats rocks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of this chapter, we're now halfway through the sage-themed chapters, this one starring Darunia.

“Well, glad to see you’re starting to pick up the pieces. It may have taken a month, but at least you’re trying to move on from that nightmare and occupy yourself until things can finally get resolved.”

 

“Thanks, Darunia. Y’know, sometimes I wish I was a Goron so I wouldn’t have to deal with this romance shit.”

 

“Well, just get yourself something like the masks the hero in  _ The Mask of Majora _ owns, and maybe you could undergo a transformation!”

 

“On second thought, I think I’m good as a Hylian.”

 

“Oh, I gotta tell you something! Guess who just got two tickets to watch my brother perform a wrestling show live in South Eldin Stadium this Saturday?”

 

“You?”   
  


“Hell yeah, Brother! And guess who I’m inviting to go with me?”

 

“Me?”

 

“Hell yeah, Brother!”

 

“I’m not so sure…”

 

“C’mon, it’s fine! South Eldin Stadium’s not even a fifteen minute walk from my place, it’s just north of Hyrule Academy in the central-east area of Castle Town!”

 

“Well, I guess this is part of occupying myself with things to do before I can see Malon again, so why not?”

 

“That’s the right attitude, Brother! Stop by my place and we’ll go have a good time! Maybe we’ll stop by the Rock Roast Grill on the way there!”

 

“Rock roast? What’s that?”

 

“It’s just grilled, seasoned rocks.”

 

“I think you overestimate Hylians’ tolerance for eating rocks.”

 

“I’ll pay you a hundred rupees if you eat an entire rock roast without puking. And for extra incentive, you don’t have to give up anything should you fail.”

 

“Well, if you really want me to. Saturday?”

 

“Yeah. See you then!”

 

Darunia hung up on the other end as Link turned to face Navi.

 

“Well, I don’t know how I ended up having to spend next Saturday eating rocks and watching staged wrestling, but I did.”

 

“Stop complaining, Link. I’m sure you’ll have a great time- not eating the rocks, of course, but staged or not, wrestling can be pretty fun.”

 

“Y’know, considering I’m about to eat a hunk of rock just so I can get a hundred rupees… you can repair my teeth if I wind up shattering them by doing that, right? Please say you can.”

 

“Oh, yeah, I totally can. It just won’t be fun for either of us.”

 

“I didn’t think it would be.”

 

“You should probably hang out with Darunia more. It might be just me, but I think you don’t have enough male influence in your life. Considering most of your friends are girls- me, Saria, Zelda, and… Malon… you don’t really have all that big a selection of guys in your life.”

 

“Yeah, but the ones I do have are assholes. Ganondorf, Mido, who else?”

 

“That’s all the more reason for you to hang out with Darunia more. You need some positive influence, and I’m afraid my snarky self isn’t enough of it for your situation.”

 

Link merely shook his head as he packed his textbooks back into his bag. 

 

“I’m not sure how positive of an influence someone who dares you to eat rocks really is.”

 

“I mean, Darunia did help you against Ganondorf.”

 

“I know, I was just joking.”

 

…

 

“Hello?”

 

“Link? Is that you? Goddesses, how’ve you been? I’ve been trying to reach you ever since I heard about what happened!”

 

“I could be better. Way, way better.”

 

“Well of course, that goes without saying.”

 

“You didn’t tell Talon, did you?”

 

“Hmm, I suppose I  _ do _ have a clear motive to do that, don’t I?”

 

“Yeah, very much.”

 

“Link, I promise you this, and I swear upon the Goddesses themselves that I would never do this to you.”

 

“Zelda, I’m not a religious man. That’s an empty saying for me.”

 

“Oh. Oh, I didn’t know. Then I swear, if it comes out that I did in fact help do this to you, you can retaliate however you see fit to.”

 

“Geez, that’s… a bit extreme, not gonna lie.”

 

“I wouldn’t be saying that if I thought it would come back to bite me. So you know that you can trust me.”

 

“Well, in reality I’m not sure who to trust anymore.”

 

“Y’know, I guess that’s a valid thing to think. I’m sure you have reasons to think that.”

 

“Oh! Do you know what rock roast is?”

 

“Hmm, gimme a sec. ‘Rock roast is a Goron delicacy made by cooking a massive chunk of rock on a grill and adding whatever seasoning the eater sees fit to add. It is rumored to originate from a Dodongo-infested cavern in Death Mountain. Though it has fans from other species, the gritty exterior and the fact that it is essentially just a heated rock makes it unappetizing for most other people who aren’t Gorons.’”

 

“Wow, Zelda, you know a lot about that stuff.”

 

“I looked it up on Google. I seriously don’t know why you didn’t do that yourself.”

 

“I guess I just didn’t think about it.”

 

“What exactly do you have planned, Link?”

 

“Darunia’s bet me a hundred rupees I can’t eat it without puking. Actually, he’s not really betting me, since I don’t have anything laid on the line, he’s just willing to give me the money if I can.”

 

“You’re gonna break all your teeth trying.”

 

“If I do, Navi’s willing to heal me.”

 

“I would try not to rely on Navi’s healing too much. Last time, she was out for  _ three days. _ That’s not a normal thing at all! She could go out for longer this time! ”

 

Link worriedly looked at Navi. Had he been relying on her healing power too much?

 

“Don’t worry, it’s not that easy to overexert myself,” Navi reassured both Link & Zelda. “I’d have to try in order to do that. So for as long as you need it, I’m willing to.”

 

“Sorry,” Zelda apologized, “I guess I just got a bit worried.”

 

“If there were cause to worry, I’d have said it sooner,” Navi commented.

 

“Anyways, it was great to chat again, even if it was about something like this.”

 

“Yeah, it was. See you later, Zelda.”

 

“Right back at ya, Link.”

 

…

 

Link stared in uneasy apprehension at the giant hunk of rock set down in front of him.

 

“Well, what are ya waitin’ for? Chow down on that bad boy!”

 

“I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”

 

“Remember: a hundred rupees if you can eat the whole thing without puking.”

 

“The things I do for money…”

 

Link took a deep breath and took a giant bite out of the rock roast.

 

“Well, that was… a lot chewier than it looked,” Link said upon swallowing the piece. “I thought it’d be much grittier, but that was… kinda easy to take a bite out of.”

 

“How’d it taste, Brother?”

 

“Actually… it wasn’t half bad. The seasoning makes it edible, of course, but that actually was pretty manageable.”

 

Within the next five minutes Link had the entire thing gobbled down. Darunia and Navi watched anxiously as they waited for a sign that Link was soon about to puke.

 

But there was nothing. The restaurant operators seemed shocked that a Hylian had not only enjoyed rock roast, but had also successfully kept it down.

 

“I can’t believe it. A friend of mine actually likes rock roast!” Darunia cheered in celebration.

 

Navi gave Link’s teeth a flyby with fairy dust. They looked perfectly undamaged, but Navi wanted to be absolutely sure.

 

“You just ate it. The whole fucking thing, and you ate it like it was a steak.”

 

“I’m kinda surprised myself.”

 

After his pleasant surprise with rock roast (and being paid the rupees as promised), Link accompanied Darunia to South Eldin Stadium. In the middle of it, a giant wrestling ring was set up.

 

As seats filled in, the announcer began to introduce the wrestlers.

 

“In the left corner, you better hide your kids and hide your wives, because he’s taking everyone tonight and sending them to an early tombstone! Roughed up and ready for anything, here’s Dampe “The Gravedigger” Tombeau!”

 

Fairly eerie music overlaid with a rock tune blasted at full volume as a bald, massive Hylian emerged from the shadows. Picking up a shovel that was part of his opening, he broke it in two and gave a mighty roar.

 

The jeers coming from the crowd gave Link the impression that whoever this guy was, he was meant to be a heel wrestler- one that the audience was supposed to hate. But Link wasn’t sure. Even after Darunia gave him a lesson on ‘heels’ and ‘faces’ and wrestling terminology in general, he was still confused.

 

“But in the right corner, we have a hulking beast ready to stand up to anyone he thinks needs a bit of a beating. A legendary fighter amongst wrestlers, revered among the Gorons, give it up for our returning champion- Darmani “The Megaton Hammer” Feu!”

 

The cheers coming from the audience confirmed Link’s earlier suspicions about Dampe being a heel. A Goron wearing dark body paint rolled into the arena. Drums began to play as a rock tune blasted through loudspeakers. Finally standing upright, Darmani gave a loud battle cry.

 

“That’s my brother for ya!” Darunia cheered, talking to Link.

 

“This all seems a bit excessive.”

 

“What?! No it isn’t!”

 

The referee signalled the start of the match as Dampe & Darmani exchanged blows. Dampe was extremely durable for a Hylian, managing to withstand heavy hits from even a Goron. As the minutes ticked by and the match grew longer, the fight seemed evenly matched.

 

Darmani, however, was not finished with Dampe.

 

A series of punches knocked Dampe up into the air as Darmani prepared his signature move. Using the ring as a slingshot, Darmani curled up into a ball and launched himself up as well. A heavy punch sent Dampe to the ground, where Darmani picked him up and slammed him back down.

 

Even Link had to admit- staged or not, that was pretty cool to watch.

 

Dampe tried to get back up, but eventually collapsed. The referee blew the whistle. Darmani had successfully defended his championship title.

 

Everyone began to cheer, with even Link finding himself doing so.

 

“It’s exciting, right?” Darunia turned to Link.

 

“I guess it kind of is. Hey, is that Dampe guy gonna be okay? He took a fucking beating- from a Goron, no less.”

 

“He should be fine. They always give a fairy tonic to the fighters after the match. Any injury he has will heal right back up.”

 

Outside the arena, Darmani was signing autographs at a booth. Darunia, with Link close behind, walked up and greeted him.

 

“Brother! Nice to see you!” Darmani smiled and threw Darunia into a massive hug.

 

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

 

“How’d that algebra test go?”

 

“It went pretty well, if I do say so myself. Oh, I brought a friend! Darmani, meet Link!”

 

Link sheepishly waved hello.

 

“Well, always nice to meet a friend of my brother’s. What’s up? Want an autograph or something?”

 

“Sure, why not?” Link managed a half-smile, handing Darmani a t-shirt Darunia had bought for him at a nearby booth.

 

“You good? You seem to be kind of upset.”

 

“He’s going through a rough patch in life,” Darunia explained. “Girl issues.”

 

“Ah. Well, I’m no good in that area of expertise, but there  _ is _ something I can tell you. Once, early into my career, I fell from a massive height that I barely survived. Look, I’ve still got the scar.”

 

Darmani pointed to a gash on his midsection.

 

Darunia chuckled. “But it takes more than that to kill a Goron like my brother!”

 

Darmani smiled back. “I thought my career was over as soon as it started. But I worked my way back up, and now look where I am.”

 

Darunia nodded. “If there’s a lesson to be learned from this, it’s that things may get worse before they get better. But that doesn’t mean there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. I’m sure things will work out. Just give it time.”

 

Darmani finished signing the t-shirt and handed it back to Link.

 

“Thanks,” Link smiled. “To both of you.”

 

Darunia patted Link on the back. “No problem, Brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rock roast segment (and Link actually LIKING it) is indeed a reference to Breath of the Wild. If you haven't played that game, I heavily recommend it.
> 
> Likewise, the incident with Darmani's scar is a reference to Majora's Mask, except, y'know, the incident in-game did actually kill him. I briefly toyed with the idea of actually killing off Darmani (which would have happened in this chapter) and showcasing Darunia's reaction, but it added nothing new to the story and it would have been killing someone off for the sake of references, so I scrapped it.
> 
> Next chapter will be more relevant to the conflict between Link & Talon. Guess which sage is involved, and the first two guesses don't count.


	25. Serenade of Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m done. Do not talk to me ever again, do not try to make things right with me, it’s over. You wasted your second chance before you even got it. I don’t love you. I never did. And unless we become the last two people alive, in which I’d sooner kill myself, I never will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The arc surrounding Link & Malon's separation is probably the longest arc in this entire story. The homecoming arc was three chapters, both summer & winter break were around four chapters long, most of the future arcs are going to be around four or five chapters, but this is going to be roughly ten chapters long.

If someone ever were to compose a list of the things Link considered himself, the word ‘gamer’ would not pop up once. Sure, he played video games on occasion, at least twice a week. Sure, he was above-average or at least decent at most of the video games he ever tried- except for shooters, which Link admitted he was absolutely horrible at. But he barely considered them anything more than a way to pass time. Whether he was playing on a handheld while in study hall or trying out the Castle Town Video Arcade’s latest machine, it was just a small hobby he had. Nothing more than that, and Link preferred to keep it that way.

 

But here he was, passing the time by trying to get every high score on every machine at the Castle Town Video Arcade. It was Navi’s suggestion, since Link didn’t think he had the skill to set several high scores that wouldn’t be broken until every game read LNF (Link didn’t have a middle name, so he decided to use Navi’s name as the middle initial for the high scores) seven times each.

 

 

He’d been at it for the past week and a half, moving on from game to game. He had cleared a couple dozen machines- the easy ones, with Link intentionally saving the harder ones for last. On a few occasions he had to repeat some of the games- some of his scores had been beaten. Of course, Link wasn’t the only one wasting his life away at an arcade, a fact that Navi felt she needed to cram down Link’s throat.

 

It was kind of funny, really. Two months ago, Link would have described someone attempting to do the same thing he was trying to do as ‘the epitome of no life’. Hell, he doubted that even Mido would be willing to try this kind of thing. But then again, getting Mido out of his room to test that theory would be more than a little challenging in and of itself.

 

After getting stuck on _Ranch Invaders,_ a shooter based on the scene in _The Mask of Majora_ where the hero defends a ranch’s cattle from aliens, Link decided to call it quits. There was just no way he was getting a single high score on this game, much less a complete set of seven high scores.

 

“I am not going to be able to clear this game. I hate to say it, but I just won’t. Hell, might as well stop here.”

 

“You can’t just give up! You’ve still got two-thirds of the arcade to clear!” Navi protested.

 

“Oh well, then. I would loathe myself if I cleared every game but one, so I might as well leave more uncleared. Never thought I’d clear a single one of the games, to be honest.”

 

Navi sighed in defeat. Though the outing with Darunia two weeks ago had been fun, considering Link didn’t think he’d enjoy wrestling, Link hadn’t tried to get out nearly as much since. Now, a week into March, Navi had to wonder how Link would handle spring break at the end of the month, since he’d have much more time on his hands.

 

Suddenly, Navi remembered something extremely important.

 

_How the hell could I forget?! I’ve wanted to tell him since Monday!_

 

“Hey, can we talk, in like, private?” Navi asked Link. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you since the beginning of the week.”

 

“If it’s about how I’ve been wasting my life here- which, by the way, was your suggestion in the first place- then I don’t need to hear it.”

 

“Hey, I may snark, but I’m no hypocrite. I wouldn’t do that, Link. No, this is unrelated- but it’s something I think you absolutely need to know.”

 

“Sure, lay it on me.”

 

“No, I mean we need to go to talk about this in private. Maybe while you’re in the shower- I don’t think we get any more privacy than when you’re there.”

 

“Is it that urgent?”

 

“You’ll understand once you learn about it.”

 

 

 

_~March 11, 4049- Later that day~_

 

“Ruto sold you out to Talon. In hindsight it’s really obvious, considering that time we saw her talking with Mido, but she totally did. She got the video camera from Mido and totally sold you out.”

  
Link stopped lathering his hair and gave a look of dull acceptance.

 

“Mind if I ask how you came to this conclusion? Because I’m kinda thinking you just made a few assumptions. I mean, they’re very logical and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Ruto _did_ do that, but you can’t just say that without any proof.”

 

“Remember on Monday, during study hall? Saria and Darunia were absent, and Ganondorf spotted you alone? And then you hid from him in the bathroom?”

 

“Yeah, and you kept watch.”

 

“Well, Ruto and her friends had a free period then, and they spent a good part of it chatting outside the bathrooms. I can tell you what I heard.”

 

“By all means, go ahead.”

 

 

 

_~March 6, 4049~_

 

“Hey, Ruto, you never told us how things went with that boy! What was his name, Luke, Lincoln…”

 

“Link. And y’know, I haven’t seen him in a month. He hasn’t left his house in that wretched Kokiri hellhole when he doesn’t have to go to school.”

 

“How do you know that?”

 

“Y’know that half-pint, Medoh or Mada or whatever? The Kokiri punk with the video camera? He told me about it.”

 

“Isn’t he the one who helped you get Link fired from that job at the ranch?”

 

“Yep, and I genuinely appreciate that. Because if I hadn’t gone to that bald guy my daddy’s friends with and given him the video evidence, he’d still be hanging out with that fat redhead!”

 

“How’d you even get to him?”

 

“I feigned interest in a job, scheduled an interview on one of Link’s vacation days- as much as I love him, he totally would have tried to drive me away- and during the interview I showed him the video that Kokiri kid gave me.”

 

“Seems like a lot of effort to get Link for yourself.”

 

“Yeah, well, sometimes you need to do the hard work for love.”

 

“What was even on the video?”

 

“Something about Link mentioning a crush on the redhead or whatever. You know how that farm girl’s father is- he erupted faster than Death Mountain!”

 

“Death Mountain’s been dormant for centuries, Ruto.”

 

“You get what I mean.”

 

“Girl, I hate to burst your bubble, but it seems that Link is hardcore crushing on that farm chick and not on you.”

 

“That’s because he hasn’t hung out with me enough. Now that he’s not hanging out with the redhead, though, that can change very fast.”

 

 

 

_~March 11, 4049- Present Day~_

 

“…and then she cackled evilly and- okay, that’s being unrealistic, she didn’t cackle. She kinda just smiled in excitement. If she weren’t completely batshit insane, she seems like she’d actually be a pretty fun person to go out with.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me this immediately?”

 

“I was gonna, but then I saw Ganondorf rounding the corner and went to go and warn you. Then I promptly forgot about it, because when I went back out Ruto and her friends were long gone.”

 

“I can’t believe it- no, I totally can, we’ve established that. That bitch! She got me fired!”

 

“Technically, your own feelings got you fired. And even ignoring that fact, Mido was involved too-”

 

“I don’t care! Because of a plan that she was largely involved in, I lost my job _and_ one of my closest friends!”

 

“True. Whaddya gonna do with that information?”

 

“Well, I guess let her know that any chance she had with me has been completely and utterly destroyed.”

 

“Yeah, but how are you gonna get her alone to break the news? If her friends saw this, they’d maul you.”

 

“By giving her what she wants.”

 

…

 

Ruto gave a smile that Link knew was as fake as Nabooru’s feelings for him. Returning to Four Giants wasn’t his first plan of action, but here he was.

 

“I am so glad you decided to give me a second chance, Link. I promise you that I won’t muck it up.”

 

“I know you won’t muck it up, Ruto.” _Because you already have._

 

Link picked at his meal absent-mindedly.

 

“You’re not eating,” Ruto took notice.

 

“Well, something’s been on my mind.”

 

“Eat first. Then we can talk about it.”

 

The date went on in complete silence. Link wasn’t too enthused at the idea of going on another date with Ruto- and yesterday, Navi had freaked out when he told her that was his plan- but anything to get Ruto alone would have to do.

 

“So,” Ruto finished her meal. “What is it, honey?”

 

Link gave her a dark glare.

 

“Whoa, what’s wrong with you? Are you okay, Linky?”

 

“So, a little birdie told me that you did something… interesting.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?”

 

Link pulled out a video camera. He had convinced the Deku Tree to make Mido loan it to him, and now he had all the proof he needed. Link then played the video in question, the one that had cost him his job.

 

 

 

_~January 1, 4049~_

 

_Link sat up on his bed, with Navi circling him. They were already midway through a conversation about Malon when Mido started filming to gather the evidence he needed._

 

_“-all I’m saying is, Navi, what if she doesn’t like me back? What if I’ve just been holding out for nothing all this time?”_

 

 _“You_ won’t _know until you ask her out. Which just means you’ll have to wait until she’s moved out and Talon can’t do anything to find out.”_

 

_“Ugh, I hope you’re right, Navi.”_

 

_“I hope, for your sake, that I’m right too.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

_~March 11, 4049~_

 

“I… what the hell is…?”

 

“Oh, I thought you’d know about this. What, you _didn’t_ review the footage when you gave it to Talon?”

 

“You… what?”

 

“Popularity has its advantages, Ruto, but as a side effect you’ve gotten to be terrible at hiding secrets.”

 

“Link… I…”

 

“Ruto, I will be blunt. I called you here to talk about this.”

 

“I… I’m sorry that it got you fired, really I am! If I knew you’d be this upset I might’ve taken a different approach-”

 

“The principle of the thing, Ruto, is that you still did it. I got fired for it, and now I can’t see one of my best friends for the next few months. All because of what? Some stupid teenage crush? On _me_ of all people?” Link chuckled at the thought. “Here’s a bit of advice, Ruto. Don’t spend so long focused on one guy. Because you’ve pretty much destroyed whatever chance you had.”

 

“Link…”

 

“No, I’m talking!!” Link raised his voice, to the point that people began to turn heads.

 

“You did this to sabotage, and regardless of what you wanted out of it, the end result is that everything that I had in my life is now an unstable mess because you and that half-pint co-conspired!”

 

“Hey, what about him?! What, you aren’t gonna take it out on him too?”

 

“I already have. His involvement was more obvious than yours, considering I found out his instantly and yours over two months.”

 

“Link, please, I’m sorry!”

 

Link got up and left a purple rupee to pay for his own meal.

 

“I’m done. Do not talk to me ever again, do not try to make things right with me, it’s over. You wasted your second chance before you even got it. I don’t love you. I never did. And unless we become the last two people alive, in which I’d sooner kill myself, _I never will._ ”

 

Link walked away.

 

“Link, please!” Ruto tried to yell, but she faltered shortly after getting Link’s name out.

 

Now alone at the table, Ruto was left to contemplate just what she had done.

 

Was it all worth it? Sabotaging the work life of a man who didn’t love her in a failed attempt to get close to him?

 

Ruto put her head down.

 

“Maybe I’ve been a bit of a bitch after all,” she chuckled in dull bemusement after reflecting on her previous attitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even gonna front. The only reason I bothered to hide Ruto being the mastermind was the fact that these chapters are more Link-centric, and since he didn't know, I didn't mention it. Until now, at least. Consider it a dramatic irony of sorts, since in hindsight this was really kind of obvious. I was going to make it a twist, but after I included that segment of Ruto & Mido talking at the end of Chapter 20 (and especially considering it's 100% in character for Ruto to sabotage in the name of love), I knew that there was no way somebody wouldn't figure it out immediately.


	26. Nocturne of Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link accompanies Zelda on a trip to Kakariko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looking back at my old drafts, Impa really got shafted in terms of depth and relevance to the story. I don't think she was going to have a single appearance up until the end, only being mentioned by other characters. This is kind of my way to try and not do the same thing as I once did.

“If you break that desk you’ll have to pay for a new one.”

 

Midway through bringing his fist down upon the desk in a fit of rage, Link stopped fuming and, uncurling his fists, walked back to his bed and lay down on his back.

 

“Sorry, Navi. I guess I’m still a bit pent up after my tirade against Ruto earlier today at Four Giants.”

 

“As you have every damn right to be. Though, to be honest, I’m kind of impressed you got _that_ mad at her. You looked like you were about to fucking explode!”

 

“I’m surprised I wasn’t kicked out of Four Giants. But to be fair, she absolutely deserved to be called on her bullshit, no matter how heated it got.”

 

“Totally. She got you fired from a decent-paying job and barred you from seeing a close friend for months, and as much as I hate rehashing old topics, you know very well that anger for something like that doesn’t go away overnight.”

 

“I suppose it doesn’t.”

 

“Hmm, I’m thinking that you should go talk to somebody about this, in that case. Just somebody to talk to, since it’s clear I’m not cutting it.”

 

“You said that about Nabooru, you said that about my nightmares-”

 

“And there’s a reason for that! You can’t run from your problems forever!”

 

Link sighed. “Alright, who do you suggest?”

 

“I dunno, maybe Zelda? You’ve done something with Saria and Darunia, but nothing with her.”

 

“Sure, I’ll call her up.”

 

…

 

“Sorry, Link, but I’m heading over to Impa’s place as we speak, so I’ll be busy.”

 

“Wait, Impa? As in, the deputy headmistress? That Impa?”

 

“Yes, Link. That Impa. She’s a close friend of my father, and as a result I’m close to her as well. We visit regularly.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Wait, why don’t you join me? Impa’s a good person to talk to about issues. She’s the one I first reached out to when I discovered Ganondorf was dating somebody else while we were seeing each other.”

 

“Are you absolutely sure? Wouldn’t it be weird to just… walk into the house of a faculty member?”

 

“Impa wouldn’t mind all that much. Maybe she’d be a bit annoyed you didn’t try to reach out to her at school, but she doesn’t get much company, so she’d welcome anybody.”

 

“I mean, if you’re positive she’d be fine with me coming over.”

 

“No doubts about it. Meet me over by the Castle Town Video Arcade, we’ll walk over to Kakariko from there.”

 

Link & Zelda wrapped up their talk and hung up. Navi cleared her throat to speak to Link.

 

“Should I stay behind? I mean, there’s nothing you can say to her that I wouldn’t have already commented on, so I’d just be there.”

 

“If you feel like that’s the best decision to make.”

 

“Eh, why not? Maybe I’ll scope out the ranch again. Make sure we haven’t overlooked any solutions to getting past that damned Bubble.”

 

“I mean, we’ve tried that how many times and come up with nothing each time.”

 

“No reason not to try.”

 

…

 

Link ducked behind a dumpster behind the Lanayru Pizzeria as a ball of dark magic whizzed past his head. Of all places to run into Ganondorf, it was in the middle of a surprisingly empty street. Recalling their encounter in front of the Dragon Roost Cafe, Link bemoaned the fact that this encounter wouldn’t end so easily.

 

“Of course, it’s not enough that Ganondorf is physically imposing! No, he also _had_ to have been taught fucking magic!”

 

“Considering that most of the ancient Gerudo kings were also warlocks, and Ganondorf’s very existence makes him a descendant of them, of course he would be magically inclined,” Zelda explained, also hiding behind the dumpster.

 

Ganondorf’s spell of choice was one that could send a target flying several feet. Perfect for beating someone up without directly hospitalizing them. Though Link wasn’t sure why Ganondorf never used it before, Zelda informed him that Ganondorf simply didn’t know it prior.

  
“Must’ve learned it recently,” Zelda surmised.

 

“But why now of all times?”

 

“It was his birthday just last week. Being taught magic must’ve been his gift.”

 

Great. So not only did the biggest bully around know magic, he somehow _mastered_ it over the course of a week.

 

The next magic blast knocked away the dumpster. Zelda barely got Link down in time to avoid the dumpster flying right at them.

 

“Who’s your boyfriend, Forrester?” Ganondorf sneered, walking towards them.

 

Zelda cleared her throat, donning a more masculine voice. “Piss off, Ganon.”

 

“No, I don’t think I will. Stay out of my way, Sheikah boy, or you’ll be next.”

 

Ganondorf shot another ball of magic, sending Zelda flying. Landing flat on the ground, Zelda watched Ganondorf charge a ball of magic at Link. She tried to get up, but she was too exhausted. Too hurt. However, Link was smarter than he looked. Spying a trash lid, he used it to block Ganondorf’s next shot. Ganondorf scowled, charging up a much larger blast. This time, however, he was knocked over by Zelda, who had finally gotten the strength to move.

 

“Get off of me, asshole!” Ganondorf roared. Zelda responded by punching him square in the face.

 

Scrambling to his feet, Ganondorf charged a shot aimed at Zelda. With little time to react, Link called out to her.

 

“Sheik!” Link yelled, being careful to use Zelda’s disguise name so as not to out her in front of Ganondorf.

 

“Yeah?”

 

Link tossed her the trash lid. As the magic and the lid met, however, the end result was something Link considered way better than simply blocking the magic blast. Instead, the lid deflected the shot right back at Ganondorf. With their primary obstacle on the ground, wheezing and gasping for air, Link and Zelda ran as fast as possible.

 

Ganondorf was partially impressed by the way Forrester and that Sheikah boy had fought him off. _Partially._ The other part of him wanted to see them suffer for it.

 

Meanwhile, once they were a good few blocks away, Link and Zelda high-fived in triumph.

 

…

 

Finally reaching Impa’s house, Zelda removed her beanie and let her hair down. That encounter with Ganondorf had been the closest one she’d ever had, even counting before she made her disguise.

 

A simple knock on the door was enough to alert Impa to the presence of visitors.

 

“Hmm? Oh, hello Zelda. I see you’ve…” Impa trailed off, eyeing Link, “…brought a friend.”

 

“This is Link. He’s a student at Hyrule Academy, I swear I’ve talked to you about him.”

 

“Oh, the homecoming kid? Shame you two didn’t begin to go out.” Impa turned to Link. “Zelda talks about you fondly.”

 

“That’s not why he’s here,” Zelda blushed, frantically signalling Impa to change the subject. Not that it would have made much of a difference, since Link was already aware of Zelda’s feelings for him.

 

“Then why is he here?”

 

“Well, I just wanted to talk. Got a few issues I need sorting out, and Zelda recommended you.”

 

“Is there _no_ reason this couldn’t have waited until school?” Impa sighed.

 

“Well-”

 

“I’m messing with you. The more company, the merrier. I’ve got some tea brewing, grab a seat and we’ll talk.”

 

Link was surprised by how laid-back Impa seemed to be outside of Hyrule Academy. When she wasn’t advising Rauru or writing kids down for detention later that day, she was actually quite affable.

 

Impa and Link took their seats in Impa’s back patio. Zelda stood awkwardly, before figuring that she wasn’t needed there.

 

“It’s fine, you can stay if you want,” Link called after her.

 

“Oh, if you insist,” Zelda fumbled back onto the patio before taking a seat.

 

“So,” Impa began, “what’s on your mind?”

 

“Well, I don’t know if Zelda’s told you, but I recently got fired from my job at the Lon Lon Ranch.”

 

“Why would Zelda tell me something like that? It’s not my business to know.”

 

“True.”

 

“Why were you fired? Was it something you did?”

 

“Yes and no.”

 

“What’s that mean?”

 

“Well, it’s technically something I _felt,_ but it’s so unrelated to ranch work that I’m not sure how it got me fired.”

 

“Was it something discriminatory? Because under that context, you being fired makes sense, from a work perspective. I definitely couldn’t say something like that and still expect to keep my job.”

 

“No, I just happened… to…” Link trailed off.

 

“He had a crush on his boss’s daughter, who also happened to be his best friend,” Zelda finished Link’s thought.

 

“Wow. That _is_ a strange reason to be fired for.”

 

“I didn’t even try anything with her!” Link threw his hands up. Zelda gave him a glare that essentially read “Quit your bullshit.”

 

“Okay, we kissed on one occasion, but I swear that’s all!” Link backtracked verbally. “Her father never even found out! So while I _did_ do something with her, from her father’s end he just fired me for having a crush!”

 

“Alright,” Impa nodded. “I can see why you’d be upset over that. Go on.”

 

“So now I’m banned from seeing my best friend for the rest of the year!”

 

“That’s it? Seems her father would want you gone longer.”

 

“Well, the ban’s technically forever, but there’s no way that he’ll be able to keep that rule intact once we’re adults and on our own.”

 

“True.”

 

“Anyways, I found out later that this one guy who hates me and this one girl who has a crush on me were the ones who sold me out- the former to spite me; the latter to free me up for herself.”

 

“Oh, my.”

 

“I found out the latter’s involvement just yesterday, so I guess I’m still angry from that.”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“I guess I’m just still angry and needed someone to talk to to get it off my chest.”

 

“No need to explain yourself. I understand well enough.”

 

“Thanks for listening.”

 

“No problem. If you need to talk more, Zelda’s a good listener,” Impa gestured over to Zelda, who hadn’t said a word so far, “or you can come to my office during school hours.”

 

Link nodded. “Will do.”

 

Leaving Impa’s place, Link and Zelda brought up the topic of Ruto selling Link out.

 

“I mean, you told me about Mido, but I can’t believe it. Ruto?”

 

“I _did_ just find out earlier today.”

 

“I know, it’s just… I didn’t know she was _this_ petty.”

 

“I mean, I figured she was. She gossips during school. She taunts other kids, especially girls she considers too geeky or unattractive. Why wouldn’t she get someone barred from seeing a girl to keep them for herself?”

 

“Hindsight’s 20/20, I guess.”

 

“Yeah, I should have seen it coming from the beginning.”

 

The trip home was considerably more quiet than the trip there. Walking into his house, Link saw Navi resting on the bedside table.

 

“Well, you were out for a bit,” Navi commented.

 

“There was quite a bit to talk about. Any breakthroughs on a solution to the communication issue?”

 

“I wish. If I found any, I’d have flown straight to find you.”

 

“Yeah, that makes sense. Dammit.”

 

“Sorry, Link.”

 

Link sat down on his bed and gave a weak smile of acceptance.

 

“It’s okay. I didn’t expect much, anyways.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This next chapter is the last before we see Malon's perspective of the past two months. It won't take nearly as long to get through, though.


	27. Requiem of Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone holds regrets within their life. What they did (or didn't do) to gain them is where the paths differ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final sage chapter is here at last! And now I'm realizing how sad it is that within each of these chapters alone, the sage characters had more lines than they did in the entirety of some earlier drafts.

_ ~October 6, 4046~ _

 

“‘What do the red curtains symbolize?’ What do you mean, what do they symbolize?! They’re just red fucking curtains!! Mentioned all of  _ once!!  _ **_What the fuck is there for them to symbolize?!_ ** ”

 

Navi shook her head in confusion. “Y’know, over the years I’ve been going to school with you, I’ve learned a very valuable lesson. Namely, don’t try to understand some of your teachers’ logic and thought processes.”

 

“You’re right. I’d probably give myself an aneurysm trying to do that.”

 

“Hey! Watch out!” Navi called out to Link.

 

“Huh- whoa!”

 

Suddenly, Link began to fall down the stairs leading up to the front lobby of Hyrule Academy. Attempting to break his fall, Link put his hands out. Landing flat on his stomach, Link counted his lucky stars that he only wound up with a few scratches and scrapes. And that nobody seemed to have witnessed it except for Navi.

 

“Holy shit, that was a pretty nasty fall. You good?”

 

Wait. That wasn’t Navi speaking. Of fucking course. Somebody saw him fall after all.

 

Resigning himself to embarrassment, Link slowly looked up. Staring right at him was a tall Gerudo woman in a pink midriff with her hands on her hips.

 

_ Great. Not only did someone see me completely fucking embarrass myself, but it happened to be the most attractive lady I’ve ever met! Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but the idea is still the same. _

 

Link gradually pulled himself up.

 

“Um, hi.”

 

“Hello.”

 

“So, uh… can we forget that happened?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Okay, thanks…” Link trailed off, not sure how to continue.

 

“Mind if I ask your name?” the Gerudo managed to figure that out for him.

 

“Link.”

 

“Uh-huh. I’m Nabooru.”

 

Link flashed a quick smile before rushing past the front gates.

 

“Of all the people to fall in front of…”

 

“Oh, quit your griping, Link.”

 

“So, that Nabooru girl…”

 

“Yeah, she was kinda hot. You’re not thinking about asking her out, are you?”

 

“I mean, why not? It’s about time I find myself some romance in my life.”

 

“That’s a fair point. I’ll be supporting you from the sidelines.”

 

So the next day, Link hoped to run into Nabooru again. Alone, preferably. The last thing he wanted was a live audience while he was asking out a girl. The afternoon after his first meeting with Nabooru, Link had gone to his friends for tips on asking a girl out. It was something he’d never done before, so he was absolutely clueless.

 

“Fairy Boy,” Malon gave him a puzzled look, “I’ve been asked out all of  _ twice _ so far and each time my father’s stepped in before anything happened. What makes you think I have anything helpful to give you?”

 

“Well, how did those boys ask you out?”

 

“Hmm, if I had to guess, I’d just say that you should act confident and sure. Nothing’s more off-putting than a guy who can barely form a coherent sentence. Yeah, it’s cute to some girls, but if there’s one time you don’t want to stutter, it’s when you’re asking her out.”

 

“That makes sense. Thanks for the tip, Malon.”   
  


The next day came and went. Though he would wind up missing the bus, Link had managed to track down Nabooru. For a solid minute, the two stood in awkward silence.

 

“What’s up?” Nabooru finally asked.

 

“Well, um, hey.”

 

“Hey.”

 

“So, uh, I was wondering… are you seeing anyone?”

 

“As of last week, no.”

 

“Well, in that case, I was thinking that maybe you and me could grab a bite to eat later today?”

 

“Like a date?”

 

“Yeah, like a date.”

 

“Hmm, well, tonight’s a bad time for me. I gotta go to see my cousin in the play over at Lanayru Middle School.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“But I don’t see why tomorrow shouldn’t work.”

 

“That’s great! So where should we go?”

 

“How about Dragon Roost Cafe?”

 

“That works!”

 

The two exchanged numbers as Link pumped his fist in celebration. Considering a guy like him and a seemingly popular girl like Nabooru, things had gone way too easily for him. But he wasn’t complaining.

 

Their first date would go exceedingly well, and that night Link and Nabooru decided to become an item. They sealed the deal with what was evidently Link’s first kiss.

 

Well, the first mutual one at least. Kokiri who were close friends often greeted each other with a quick peck on the cheek (Mido had long since abandoned this practice) due to the lack of physical affection most Kokiri received due to the Deku Tree’s immobility and the lack of romantic connotations it had for Kokiri. Thus, such a greeting was common between friends such as Link and Saria. But a mutual kiss was unheard of in Kokiri Circle, and so Link’s first time experiencing one was… well, it was magical, to say the least.

 

Or at least it would have been if Link had any idea what he was doing, and the fact that he didn’t soon became apparent.

 

If you asked Link, the saying “practice makes perfect” did not apply to kisses until years have gone by. During the time he was with Nabooru, he did not get better at it one bit. Though Nabooru may have just been bad at it.

 

All Link knew in the present day was that he wasn’t about to walk up to Ganondorf and ask him for an answer. And that he regretted the fact that their date had gone so well.

 

 

 

_ ~February 18, 4047~ _

 

Four months had passed in the blink of an eye. Link felt like he had been asleep during that time, because there was no way he had lived through a third of a year.

 

But something felt… off. He and Nabooru had enjoyed their time together, no doubt, but there was something missing. They just didn’t feel as close as they once did. He never met a single member of her family, since she only ever invited him over when she was home alone. It had been a week since they last kissed, and they’d never had any form of sexual intimacy whatsoever (not that Link was too upset about that- he could live without it).

 

Confessing his worries to Navi, she gave him the advice to go over to Nabooru’s house and talk about it over a movie or the like.

 

“Sure, but what movie?”

 

“The Deku Tree has  _ The Ocarina of Time _ stored away in the common area. And I know for a fact that they don’t have it out on streaming services yet, so why not bring it?”

 

“I suppose.”

 

Calling Nabooru, Link told her about his plan to bring a movie over. She seemed indifferent to it. Actually, in hindsight, she seemed a bit opposed.

 

“I just hope this goes well.”

 

“Hey, if it goes well enough, you might finally get into her pants.”

 

“Navi! That’s not my main concern!”

 

“I mean, would you complain if you  _ did _ get into-”

 

“Okay, I get it, I get it. Let’s just go.”

 

The aftermath of that was not something Link liked to look back on. After he walked in on Nabooru and Ganondorf, he just booked it. He ran like the wind. But that instant was enough to get Ganondorf to remember his face for years to come.

 

 

 

_ ~March 21, 4049~ _

 

_ It’s funny, _ Nabooru thought to herself gravely.  _ I cheated on Link, and now the guy I cheated on him with is cheating on me. It’s kind of karmic, in a way. _

 

She wasn’t sure what had compelled her to check Ganondorf’s phone while he was showering. But when she came upon his many,  _ many _ texts to other women, she felt that perhaps the Goddess of the Sand wanted her to know. Wanted her to find out.

 

But she wasn’t about to confront Ganondorf with that information. She was absolutely frightened of him and what he could do when he was angry. She couldn’t just keep quiet, though.

 

_ There he is. Game time. _

 

“Link!”

 

“Nabooru?! What the fuck do you want with me?”

 

“Listen, I… we need to talk.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Ganon… he cheated on me.”

 

“First off: that’s no secret, and frankly I’m surprised you didn’t know. Second off, I guess you know how it feels now. Being cheated on… karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?”

 

“That’s my next point. Link… I’m sorry for what I did. Really, I am. I regret it more and more now.”

 

“If you could solve all the world’s problems with an apology, we’d be living in a utopia.”

 

“Please, just hear me out!”

 

“I don’t know how you expect me to forgive you for cheating on me.”

 

“I don’t want you to forgive me. I just want this part of our history to be forgotten. I want us to move past it, even if we never talk to each other again.”

 

“Sure. I can do that.”

 

“Also… Link, I haven’t told anybody this… I’m scared. After all this, I want nothing more than to cut ties with Ganondorf and move on with my life. But he’s terrifying. I don’t want to piss him off by trying to dump him.”

 

“Why are you coming to me about this? I can’t give you any help.”

 

“I just need  _ someone _ to know. Someone who understands how much of a jackass Ganon is. I need someone to relate to.”

 

“Alright, I can understand that. Maybe you should talk to the guidance counselor.”

 

“Maybe I will. I’m sorry, Link. Sorry about all of this.”

 

Link merely nodded. He seemed evidently calmer.

 

Content at last, Nabooru walked away. Even if she and Link never saw each other again, she at least managed to clear something off her conscience.

 

Now if only it were so easy to remove Ganondorf from her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering the fact that neither Link or Nabooru are on good terms in the present day of this fic, I thought it logical to have most of their interactions in this chapter to be flashbacks.
> 
> Next chapter: Malon reacts to being separated for two months from her only friend and childhood crush about as well as one would expect her to.


	28. A Farm Girl's Lament, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months of tension between father and daughter finally boil over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link thinks he has it bad... well, while she handles it way, way better (initially), Malon certainly has it worse.

For lack of a better word, the past few months had been a bit… arduous for Malon. Her father took every precaution against letting Link  _ near _ her, up to and including banning her from talking to any of Link’s friends. Well, the ones he knew about. Which was all of them. Not like it mattered, since Malon had no phone. She had to borrow her father’s phone for anything (and it had been her father’s phone she was using when Navi found out her crush), as well as other reasons such as mending Link’s Kokiri cap. That was the only reason this was such a problem in the first place. Malon still didn’t know how her father had found out Link’s crush, and in fact, the night after Link was fired, she walked right up to Ingo and accused him of telling her father.

 

“You fucking told him, you asshat! You found out Link had a crush on me and then you told my pa so he’d get fired!”

 

“Wait, what? _That’s_ what the shitstain got fired for?!” Ingo started laughing uncontrollably.

 

“My only friend just got barred from seeing me and you think it’s a hoot and a half?!”

 

“Well, it’s ‘bout time anyways. That dumb brat was always goadin’ you into pullin’ pranks on me. I happen to remember that slingshot incident, madam. All this happens to be is long overdue karma, and even though I had no hand in it I have no problems with it.”

 

“Ingo, I have lived on this ranch for all my life! No friends since fifth grade, except for- guess who- Fairy Boy! He’s been my only companion for _six_ _years,_ and now that I’m all alone with no friends, no phone, no _nothing,_ you think it’s the funniest shit since my father got his head stuck in a sewer grate? Fuck you, asshole!”

 

Malon stormed off in anger. Ingo stood in shocked silence. He wasn’t quite sure what he just heard, but was content in his blissful ignorance.

 

Indeed, whatever Link was going through, Malon had it a hundred times worse. Unlike Link, she had nobody to talk to, and nobody to hang out with but the other employees. All they could do was offer their sympathies.

 

“If you think I’m gonna risk my job by goin’ up to your dad and telling him to rehire a dude he absolutely does not want to hear about, you’ve got another thing coming,” Grog shook his head. “Sorry, lass, I really am, but this ain’t my fight.”

 

And Headmaster Rauru was much the same way. No help whatsoever, only offering his sympathies.

 

Malon initially tried to offset the massive loss in her life by joining a few clubs. She tried the drama club, but Ruto was the club president and the two wanted nothing to do with each other. Besides, Malon knew that Ruto saw her as a rival for Link’s affections. Later she tried the archery club, and showed considerable skill in it, but with no herder, Talon needed Malon on the ranch more than ever, forcing her to forego clubs entirely.

 

Gym and lunch were absolute nightmares. Once again Malon had nowhere to sit, with the only available spot being next to a group of chatty girls who clearly didn’t want her there. In gym, there was nobody who wanted her on their team.

 

“Well, how was school today?” Talon asked when picking her up.

 

“Awful. I’ve got nobody to talk to and no friends in any of my classes.”

 

“I’m sure that’s not true-”

 

“Well, you personally saw to that.”

 

Rinse and repeat every day, from the beginning of January to the end of March. Malon was just as miserable as she had been in the days before she met Link. She wasn’t sure if that was even possible until now.

 

…

 

Initially, when Link was fired, Malon had protested this decision all throughout the night. Her father, however, refused to budge. Ever since that major blowout, tensions had been slowly building on the ranch. And everyone knew that one day it would all boil over.

 

That day coincided with the first day of spring break in late March. At first, there was nothing. And suddenly, father and daughter were screaming at each other.

 

“The fuck are you talkin’ about, Dad?! You _NEVER_ trust _anyone!_ If you did, you’d have let me go out on dates or let other boys within _TEN GODDAMN FEET OF ME!_ ”

 

“He knew very well that I didn’t want him tryin’ anythin’! And just _look_ at how well he followed that set o’ instructions!!”

 

“He shouldn’t have had to follow those instructions! They’re nuthin’ but a big ol’ load of _BULLSHIT!_ All yer preachin’ about protectin’ me? _IT’S A BUNCHA BULLSHIT!_ I don’t need no protectin’ from nobody! Jes’ whaddya plan to do when I’m outta the house?”

 

Silence.

 

“Well?! What are ya gonna do, Dad?! Follow me to the fucking campus?!”

 

Talon paused in shock.

 

“Ya fuckin’ heard me, Dad! I ain’t a kid no more! In a few months I’ll be a grown-ass adult, and then what? You’ll have no control over me then! I’ll be able to date whoever I fucking want! And if I hafta march up to Fairy Boy’s house an’ fuck him right in front of ya to get it through your skull, then so be it!”

 

Talon growled, his face beet red. “So long as ye live in this goddamn house ye follow my goddamn rules, and that means ye ain’t datin’ nobody unless I fucking let ya, and if ye think otherwise then yer no daughter o' mine!”

 

“What are ya goin’ on about now, gonna disown me ‘cause I won’t listen? Then fucking _DO IT!_ I’d rather be livin’ on the streets than with a lout like you!”

 

Malon threw a nearby TV remote at her father, who dodged it. Then she stormed off in anger to her room. Walking outside, Talon saw Mamamu Yan giving him a peculiar look.

 

“Heard all that, huh?”

 

“I did.”

 

“I jes’ don’t get it. Mal-”

 

“Talon, what you want of her and what she wants to do were always two different things. You’re both stubborn people, and it was obvious that one day something like this would happen. This won’t resolve itself by you forcing your ideals on her, and vice-versa. Just give it time.”

 

“Goddesses… I wish she were here right now. I just…”

 

“I know. Fifteen years have passed and it’s still not easy.”

 

As the hours ticked away and the sun set, Talon sat in bed, wondering if what he was doing was right.

 

 _It has to be. Goddesses, I’m her_ father, _I have to do what’s best for her, even if she doesn’t see it that way!_

 

Meanwhile, under the dark cover of night, a figure slipped away from her bedroom, out of the ranch, and far away. On her bed she left a note that read,

 

_Hey Dad,_

 

_So you’re probably wondering where the hell I am…_

 

_Well, I ain’t telling ya. Suck it up and fuckin’ deal with it._

 

_I’m not running away. I may be sad and angry, but I ain’t a fool. I’m just hidin’ out until you get your shit together. Or until I feel like it. This ain’t goodbye forever, just imagine it like I’m staying with a relative. Even though we have no experience with that, since our entire family has lived solely on this ranch._

 

_Don’t bother looking for me. I’ll come back on my own time. And for the record, let it be known that I can perfectly handle myself during this time._

 

_~Malon_

 

…

 

“Hello, welcome to the Stock Pot Inn, the finest hotel in Castle Town! How may I help you?”

 

Malon pushed a gold rupee forward. “I need a place to stay, however long I can pay for.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

 

_Calm down, Malon, it’s not forever, it’s just until your father gets his shit together. Wait, that’s forever. No, it can’t be. He can’t be that dense!_

 

The receptionist handed Malon a key. “This is for your room. We hope you enjoy your stay!”

 

Malon gave a weak smile and nodded.

 

_Certainly beats staying on the ranch. And hey, if it weren’t within goddamn eyesight of my father, I’d have gone to Kokiri Circle. I probably shoulda brought some supplies for letters, actually. I could’ve had Fairy Boy meet me here. Oh, well. Hindsight is 20/20, I guess._

 

Taking a long shower, Malon plopped down onto the bed afterwards. She certainly hoped her Fairy Boy was having it easier than her, though if the girls talking about him looking like a drunken hobo until the past month weren’t lying, he might have been taking it worse than even her.

 

“He was always the one for dramatic flair,” Malon chuckled.

 

Though, to be fair, Malon had to admit that being separated from a friend you’ve known for years is never easy. She knew that firsthand.

 

“Who does my father think he is? The fucking instant I’m out of high school, I’m goin’ over to Fairy Boy and we’ll work something out then. Maybe we’ll elope to someplace like Termina. Beautiful houses, even better colleges… but then again, I’m not so sure Fairy Boy would want that.”

 

Malon threw her arms up in frustration, before she began to cry.

 

“Dammit… just… goddamnit! All this… all this because my… my stupid father’s got… got stupid trust issues bigger… bigger’n he is!”

 

Why couldn’t her father relent? Why was it so hard to simply _like_ somebody? How was it such a crime to want something more out of her relationship with her close friend?

 

Malon got less sleep that night than Link could ever claim to have gotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tiny bit of behind the scenes: It was originally supposed to be Ingo who told Talon of Link's crush, and he would have found out from overhearing Link mention it to Navi in their cabin on the ranch. Since he's Talon's good friend, he wouldn't need proof, eliminating the need to have Mido provide it. But that went against what I have planned for Ingo later on, so...
> 
> Well, that's for another day.


	29. A Fairy Boy From the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malon and Link reflect on their past as the former attempts to contact the latter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malon's arc has easily been one of my favorites to write. After establishing early on that Malon wouldn't just take her father's shit if he drove Link away, I sat down and thought, "I really need to follow through on that setup." And here we are. Honestly, one of my biggest problems with an earlier draft was that Malon pretty much sat on her ass doing nothing after Talon fired Link, as if she was waiting for the issue to resolve itself. I knew that that wasn't what I wanted to do with Malon's character, that there's no way someone as fiery and stubborn as her would just sit around when she explicitly stated that she wouldn't do such a thing.

_~September 6, 4042~_

 

Malon walked through the door, happier than she’d been in months. Talon greeted her as she put her backpack down.

 

“Well hey there, sweetie. How was school today, young lady?”

 

“It was amazing! I… I made a new friend!”

 

“Really now? On the first day of school?”

 

“Yeah, I didn’t have anywhere to sit at lunch an’ so he invited me to sit with ‘im!”

 

Talon’s expression grew dark. “Wait. _Him?_ ”

 

Malon cocked an eyebrow in confusion. “Yeah, is there a problem that it’s a guy? Because personally I don’t see anything wrong. He’s pretty nice.”

 

“Malon, sweetie. As you get older, people your age are gonna go out on dates and whatnot. I get that you may want to as well… but you are _not_ allowed to date anybody. Not unless I say so.”

 

“Dad, I’m only talkin’ about a friend, why is this suddenly a topic-”

 

“I’m just sayin’ that if he ever wants to be more than friends, yer gonna have to give him a stern ‘no’. People out there… they can be pretty cruel. Do bad things to good people, often for no reason other than to do them. I ain’t lettin’ that happen to you.”

 

“Dad, it’s just a boy.”

 

“Well, I’d rather give you this talk now than later. I’m debating whether or not I should even let you be friends with a boy in the first place.”

 

“Dad, please! Ever since I lost contact with Anju last year I haven’t had any friends!”

 

Talon paused for a minute, contemplating his answer. Malon waited with a hopeful look in her eyes.

 

“Hmm, fine. I’ll make an exception for this kid. But not for anybody else. You ain’t allowed no contact with any other boys, understand me?”

 

“Fine, Dad. Hey, can he come over today? I kind of already told him he could.”

 

“What?!” Talon cried out in shock. “You… why’d you tell him that?!”

 

“I was trying to be nice.”

 

Talon shook his head. “You are certainly your mother’s child. Rushin’ into things without thinkin’. Of all the things for you to inherit…”

 

“Dad!”

 

“Fine, have him over today. Might as well see how this friend o’ yers is.”

 

Fortunately for both Malon and Link, the latter made a good enough first impression to have Talon decide he was alright for his daughter to be friends with.

  
  


_~March 28, 4049- Present Day~_

 

Link was always the type of friend to worry about his other friends, no matter how small the problem was. Malon remembered Link’s reaction to finding out she didn’t have a date for homecoming in freshman year. He was originally going to go with Saria, but when he found this out he immediately offered to go with her so she wouldn’t have to go alone. Malon had to clarify that no, it wasn’t that she didn’t find anybody willing to go, but that her father refused to let her go. Looking back, it was somewhat adorable how Link completely failed to grasp her meaning.

 

 _Then again, I suppose my choice of words weren't that great at implying what I meant,_ Malon chuckled to herself.

 

Malon pulled out her diary, one of the few things she bothered to take when she left the ranch. Opening it up, she flipped to the next empty page and began to write.

 

_Dear Diary,_

 

_Runnin’ outta space here, I might have to get another diary soon._

 

_Hard to believe that only last night I ran away. I was absolutely shocked when one of the workers here came in five minutes ago and told me it was 8:30. I’d almost completely forgotten I had left until then. I don’t think my father’s awake yet. And if he is, he hasn’t found out that I ran away yet. Because if he had, I’d have heard him scream my name from across Castle Town by now. Or maybe he’d call the cops to find me. Maybe both._

 

_First thing I’m doing after breakfast is finding a phone and calling Fairy Boy. I sure hope he picks up._

 

_But when have things gone my way within the past few months?_

 

Malon barely picked at the scrambled eggs laid out on her plate. She wasn’t sure why, she was absolutely hungry. But she just wasn’t feeling up to it. After paying the hotel for another night there, she asked around to see if there were any phones she could use. One of the tourists staying at the hotel pointed her in the direction of the hotel’s elevators. However, while walking there, Malon nearly had a heart attack.

 

_Fuck! I forgot they worked here!_

 

The “they” in question were Anju’s family. Though Malon and Anju hadn’t spoken in years, both girls’ parents recognized their daughter’s former friend. They would absolutely recognize Malon this time. They would absolutely question why she wasn’t staying with Talon. They would absolutely tell Talon where his daughter had run off to.

 

Sneaking behind the nearby fountain, Malon prayed that they would move.

 

They stood around for what felt like an eternity instead. But eventually, they finally walked off. Spotting the telephone, Malon dialed Link’s number, which she thankfully remembered from the hundreds of times she called him from her home phone.

 

As she waited for a response on the other end, Malon hoped that things would end with some semblance of happiness for her.

  
  


_~February 18, 4047~_

 

An empty box of tissues flew across the room and into the nearest garbage can. On the bed sat Link, now completely and thoroughly inconsolable, as he continued to sob, this time into his pillowcase.

 

Navi watched sadly as her best friend continued to cry. She should have suspected something was up with Nabooru the instant she sounded so opposed to Link coming over without even giving a reason why. Of course, “I’m totally fucking another guy behind your back and want to keep it a secret for as long as humanly possible” wouldn’t really be a viable reason, but still.

 

For all intents and purposes, Link and Nabooru were as good as done. There was no breakup, but there was no need for one. They both knew that it was over, and they both knew why. With this, Nabooru announced the next day that she and Ganondorf were dating.

 

Saria knew about the breakup, as Navi had told her when they were returning from Nabooru’s house. However, she wisely decided to keep her distance. She knew that Link needed peace and quiet for now, that he would come around in time.

  
Nobody expected it to take over a year, though.

 

Malon found out that day as well, as Navi decided that she might as well know. Her first reaction was to rush over to Link’s house. She would deal with her father’s reaction later, but now she needed to comfort an old friend.

 

“Fairy Boy!” Malon called out once she had arrived.

 

“M-Mal?”

 

“Are you okay?!”

 

“W-What do… what do you think?!”

 

Malon should have expected such a response. Navi had told her that as a result of the breakup, Link was increasingly closing himself off from others and so much more hostile as a result.

 

“Fairy Boy, it’s me…”

 

“I know that.”

 

“I… I heard about what happened.”

 

“Figures.”

 

“I… I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

 

“Well, of course not-”

 

“Link,” Navi warned, “I would advise against finishing that sentence.”

 

“No,” Malon waved her off, “it’s fine. He’s right.”

 

Link sighed. “I can’t fucking believe it. Of all the reasons to end things with a significant other, I got stuck with “caught the biggest jackass in school plowing them.”

 

“Need a hug?”

 

“Yeah, sure, I could use one.”

 

Malon complied, taking Link by the shoulders and planting him face first into her chest. Link seemed to realize exactly where his face lay, as he immediately turned red and panicked.

 

“It’s fine, Fairy Boy. Just relax.”

 

Link had never had such a one-sided hug in his life. Not that he was complaining, though. It certainly felt nice.

 

Malon silently debated telling Link her feelings for him when she let go. But if there was ever a worse time to do so than in earshot of her father, it was right after Link had gone through being cheated on and the subsequent fallout. She let the thought sink into the recesses of her mind once more.

 

“I oughta get back home before my father questions what I’ve been doing,” Malon smiled.

 

“Bye,” Link barely managed to utter under his breath. He looked almost cataconic, and Navi wasn’t quite sure whether it was a result of being so demotivated by Nabooru cheating on him or the… _hug…_ from Malon.

 

Though, considering the fact that Link would spend a year moping around, it was probably the former.

 

 

 

_~March 28, 4049- Present Day~_

 

“Have I told you how much I hate calculus, Navi?”

 

“Yes, you have. In fact, that’s pretty much all you’ve been saying for the past hour. Complaining about it won’t get that homework done, though.”

 

Getting his calculus grade back up to a reasonable amount was harder for Link that he could have imagined. When Rauru told him they had slipped quite a bit over the month he spent not caring about anything, he really was underestimating just how much they had slipped.

 

Link took a brief walk outside to clear his mind. Looking back at things, he really had kind of overreacted when it came to being separated from Malon. Compared to her he had it easy, even, but then again, Link supposed neither of them really had it good.

 

“I can't even begin to imagine how she’s managing. No friends, no phone, no nothing. That can’t be easy on her.”

 

The postman ran by Kokiri Circle, and Link waved to him as he always had over the years. The postman stopped by, delivering whatever mail he needed to. It wasn’t much, but any mail warranted a stop at Kokiri Circle.

 

It was just the third-quarter report cards for Link and the Kokiri. Link volunteered to collect them and take them to the Deku Tree.

 

“Here ya go,” the postman handed Link the envelopes. “Say, haven’t seen you around in months. What’s going on with you?”

 

“Just been busy, I guess. Got a lot of issues- personal issues- that I’m still working through. Nothing grim or anything, but still something I need time to sort out.

 

“Ah. Well, Mr. Forrester, don’t worry about that. My pa had a buncha personal issues, and though that ended with the butchering of Old Man Jambon’s hogs- I think thirty or fifty or something- and a permanent stay at the local asylum-”

 

“I’m not sure I need to hear that.”

 

“-the rest of his family, namely me and my siblings, managed to sort it out. Your issues will be much of the same- easily sorted out.”

 

Link stared at the postman in brief shock. “I don’t think my issues are _at all_ comparable to whatever the hell I just heard.”

 

“Hmm, yes, that’s true, but in the end it _will_ be okay.”

 

“I know that much, I’ve had that lesson crammed down my throat in the past few months. That’s why I’m bothering to stick it out.”

 

The postman nodded. “You’ve heard it so much because it’s a good lesson. Well, I’ve got some other packages to deliver and I best be going. Good luck to you in these trying times, Mr. Forrester!”

 

Link waved goodbye. The postman was always good for a conversation- and the occasional odd anecdote- and Link was glad that today was no different.

 

Delivering the mail and reveling in amusement at the Deku Tree’s stern lecturing of Mido for an F in science, Link continued to work on his calculus assignment.

 

As he was wrapping up, however, he received a peculiar call.

 

“Stock Pot Inn? Odd. I’ve never stayed at that place, why the hell is it calling me?”

 

Navi shrugged. Link simply ignored the call.

 

Then the number called again. And again. Against his better judgement (and Navi’s warning that it was likely a spam caller), Link answered the phone.

 

He remembered how he could barely form a coherent thought the instant he first heard who was on the other side of the call.

 

“M- I- what?! When- how- what the fuck is going on?!”

 

“Calm down, Fairy Boy. It’s fine. It’s me. I’m over at the Stock Pot Inn, and it’s where I _will_ be until my father sorts his shit out, or until he gets the fucking cops to drag me back to the ranch.”

 

“Mal-”

 

Now Navi understood what was going on, and her reaction was even more surprised than Link’s. Ignoring her freaking out behind him, Link continued the conversation.

 

“What, do you expect me to join you?”

 

“Well-”

 

“Just say when.”

 

…

 

The clock read noon as Link rushed through the front gates of the Stock Pot Inn. Malon had to be here somewhere, she had to be. Unless Talon somehow found her first.

 

“Fairy Boy?”

 

Link finally saw Malon next to the elevators down a long corridor.

 

“Fairy Boy!”

 

“Malon!”

 

Link and Malon rushed towards each other, until they were locked in a tight embrace. Neither wanted to let the other go.

 

“It’s so goddamn good to see you,” Malon smiled.

 

“Same to you,” Link grinned.

 

“Will you two shut up and kiss already?” Navi asked impatiently. Much to her immediate regret, the two complied.

 

Passersby would wonder why a redhead girl was in the middle of the hallway was making out with a blond boy with a fairy. But so long as not one of those passersby was Talon, Link & Malon didn’t care what they thought. They just knew that they didn’t want this moment to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More behind-the-scenes time: Anyone could tell you this, but I suck at continuity. Malon doesn't have a phone. That's the entire point of her separation from Link being so hard. Welp, turns out she uses a phone that is explicitly hers TWICE prior to this chapter, once in Chapter 15 and once in Chapter 20. I went back and edited those instances so that it's instead Link's phone in the former instance and Talon's in the latter (as the original intent was to leave Malon phoneless like she is in Chapter 28- not sure how I messed up something that I had planned from the start), but good God, I really need to get better at proofreading.
> 
> Same deal with Chapters 1 & 12, both of which mention the Hyrulean Civil War. A while back, I realized that the dates at which the war was stated to happen were inconsistent with each other- Chapter 1 depicted it as 200 years prior to the story, but Chapter 12 depicted it as 1000 years prior. The latter date is the correct one, and I have long since edited the story to reflect that. Sorry!
> 
> With me berating myself for my failure to follow basic continuity over & done with, I'd like to take the time out to thank anyone who's bothered to actually read this story, and even more to those who don't have the urge to puke afterwards. Really gives me motivation to continue writing stuff. I'm still not sure where I got this idea of a modern Malink fic from, especially since there don't seem to be many (actually, looking back, the lack of modern Malink fics may have been my inspiration for this in the first place), but I've certainly had a fun time exploring it further, and I'm glad that others seem to agree.


	30. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talon learns his daughter has run away, but before he can find her, an unexpected ally comes to help Talon realize that maybe he hasn't been protecting Malon the way he thought he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the last chapter in this long arc is up...

Cuccos crowed loudly on the Lon Lon Ranch as Grog, more tired than ever, tried to lead them to their feed. It had been a long few days, especially since it had been just last night Malon and her father got into that massive argument. Sometimes he contemplated quitting, since there wasn’t a clear end to their fighting in sight, but taking this job had gotten him out of a depressive rut he’d been in during his teenage years. He couldn’t just up and leave, not when Talon needed him. Not when the cuccos needed him. Not when the ranch needed him.

 

He had only just been hired when Link started showing up, too. Grog fondly recalled the many pranks the boy and Malon pulled on the employees, and felt grateful that the more extreme ones were saved for Ingo- with one exception. He still remembered the time they covered him in cucco feathers using glue recently placed on the backsides. It had taken Grog’s own intervention in saying that he found the prank funny despite being the victim of it to convince Talon not to ground Malon or send Link home prematurely. But the good days were over, or so it seemed. Arguments became more frequent, and if last night’s wasn’t the worst it would get, then Grog wasn’t sure what to think. He surely wasn’t getting involved, that much was clear.

 

Grog checked his watch. 10:00 AM. Talon always preferred to sleep in whenever he could, but if his timing was right he’d be getting up soon enough.

 

And he did. As was a part of his routine, he made himself a small breakfast of eggs, and then went upstairs to ask Malon if she wanted any. Knocking on the door, he waited patiently for a response.

 

Nothing. That was fine, Malon slept in plenty of times before. Another knock, this time followed by a yell to try and get Malon up.

 

Nothing again. Talon was used to having to walk into Malon’s room to wake her up, but he certainly was annoyed. Opening the door, however, he saw… nothing. Nothing except a small piece of paper with a message on it.

 

The instant Talon saw this he assumed the worst. He assumed that Malon had been kidnapped or something similar, and was seconds from calling the police. Apparently he had made a lot of noise during this, as Ingo was soon nearby.

 

“What’s goin’ on, Tal?”

 

“It’s my daughter- she’s gone!”

 

Ingo soon spotted the note and read it silently.

 

“Ye might wanna read this yerself. It’s addressed to you in particular.”

 

Talon went to his room and collected his reading glasses. Finally sitting down to read the note, he recognized that the handwriting was indeed Malon’s, confirming her as the author of the note. Taking the time to actually sift through the message, Talon felt a small relief that Malon had simply left of her own free will. But that relief was _very_ small- she had still fled in the middle of the night, and left no hints to her location other than the fact that it was temporary.

 

Talon’s first instinct was to check Kokiri Circle- considering the reasoning behind Malon leaving, it would make sense for her to hide out with Link. But when he called, Fado, who relayed anything the Deku Tree wanted to say over the phone, denied Malon’s presence.

 

Talon’s next move was to send out Ingo and Mamamu Yan out to find her, sending Mamamu Yan to Eldin, Ingo to Lanayru, and checking Faron & Ordona himself.

 

Talon didn’t exactly expect to find Malon during his search- not counting Kokiri Circle, Faron & Ordona were almost certainly the last districts she’d hide out in if given a choice. She wanted to hide from her father, and staying anywhere near him was not exactly the way to do it.

 

Still, he checked around regardless, with his search culminating in Barten’s Tavern.

 

“Mal?” Mr. Barten cocked an eyebrow. “No, I haven’t seen her. Why do ye ask?”

 

“She’s run off, Clinton. Left me a note an’ everything.”

 

“Sweet Nayru…”

 

“I’ve sent Ingo and Mamamu Yan out to the other corners of Castle Town, but I’m not so sure we’re gonna find her.”

 

“Well, ya gotta keep searchin’. Can’t just give up.”

 

“I know… Goddesses help me, we’re gonna find her. Because, to be frank, I have absolutely no idea what I’ll do if we don’t.”

 

Barten simply nodded. “I’d help if I could, but I not only have no idea where to look, but I can’t leave this place unsupervised.”

 

“It’s fine, we’ll continue the search on our own.”

 

…

 

By the time the clock struck noon, Talon returned to the ranch with no leads. Mamamu Yan arrived soon after.

 

“Any word? Any possible leads as to her location?”

 

“I’m sorry, Talon, but no. Nothing at all. I asked everywhere.”

 

“Please…” Talon clasped his hands in prayer to the Goddesses. “Please, let Ingo return with news of my daughter. And let it be good news.”

 

As Talon finished his prayer, Ingo burst through the door, out of breath. The look on his face gave nothing away, which only caused Talon more fear.

 

“Please, Ingo… anything? Anything at all?”

 

“I got something… but, Tal, before I say anything, maybe you need to reconsider things…”

 

“Reconsider what?! Letting my daughter hide out Goddesses-know-where?! Because I ain’t givin’ up on finding her, even if I gotta get the damn cops involved!”

 

“I don’t mean that… I want her home as much as you, but I was thinking… there’s a reason she ran away. She’s clearly unhappy with how you’re runnin’ things. An’ I ain’t trying to justify her running away, but maybe she has a point. Maybe… you are kinda overbearing. You constantly limit her options, and you claim it’s all in her best interest…”

 

“She’s just boy-crazy, she’ll come around in time.”

 

“Maybe she will, maybe she won’t. But I ain’t about to say she’s wrong about you being overprotective. She’s a strong enough gal, and I see no reason why she can’t handle herself whatsoever.”

 

“But-”

 

“Tal, I drink a liver-destroying amount of alcohol _every day,_ to the point where I barely remember most things in the morning, and even I can see that what you’re doing is harming Malon- and this ranch- more than helping. If I can see that, then… what’s your excuse for _not_ seeing it? I get that you only want to protect her- I really do, even though I can be a fairly big douche at times- but there’s gotta be a point where you let her go off and do her own thing. And the more unwilling you become to realize that fact, the worse your relationship with her is gonna get. This can only go downhill, Tal- unless you take it upon yourself to change this, unless you bother to try and accept that Malon ain’t a little girl who needs her hand held every waking second of every day, then maybe… maybe Malon’s better off hiding out from you.”

 

Talon stood and stared at Ingo. A flurry of emotions tore through him- confusion, anger, and regret.

 

_Maybe… she’s better hiding… from me? Oh, Goddesses…_

 

Recalling every interaction he had with Malon in the past few days, as well as the times Malon tried to go on dates, Talon finally accepted that maybe he hadn’t been accomplishing what he wanted to. In trying to protect Malon, he had instead pushed her past her limit, restricted her friend options, and done it all in the name of “caring” about her. He could barely think about her without choking up.

 

“I… I swore on that horrible day… that day I lost _her…_ that I would protect our daughter, from anything and anyone. And here I am, having driven her away by my own hand.”

 

“It’s okay, Tal…”

 

“No, no it ain’t. I gotta make things right. I ain’t gonna restrict her no more. I’ll try my damn hardest to let her know I want to change.”

 

“Forgetting someone?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Link. Ya fired him for no good reason- I wasn’t complaining when you did, but now I get that it’s a stupid motive. If yer gonna change and let Malon have the freedom to date, then show her you mean it by rehiring Link.”

 

“I… yer right. I gotta make things right with that poor kid. Goddesses, I hope he forgives me.”

 

“Tal, it’s gonna be alright.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Hell, I ain’t sure of nothing, ye can blame the alcohol for that. But I’m sure that if you make the effort to change, others will appreciate it.”

 

Talon nodded.

 

“I managed to track Mal down. Asked Grog’s parents if they saw her, and they thought about it for a bit. Then they realized that they saw her at the Stock Pot Inn, y’know, the hotel they run?”

 

“She’s there? Oh, thank the Goddesses.”

 

“Ya better go fast. Never know if she’s preparin’ to leave.”

 

…

 

“Wow, you’ve been staying in here? This is almost as nice as those hotels reality TV contestants get.”

 

“Eh, it’s alright.”

 

“Are you sure… that staying here is the best idea?”

 

“Fairy Boy, it’s the only idea I got. You’re more than welcome to stay with me for as long as you want.”

 

“Mal, I…”

 

“Fairy Boy, do you… maybe, do you wanna elope or something? Once we graduate, we could go off to Termina or someplace.”

 

Link’s expression was not one of joy, or agreement- it was one of sadness. “Mal, I love you and I’d want nothing more than to marry you, but… don’t you think you’re maybe getting a bit ahead of yourself? We’re not even out of school yet, and already you’re talking about marriage.”

 

Malon put her head down, dejected. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe things’ll get better, and- oh, forget it, what am I sure of? Fairy Boy, truth be told… I’m scared. I don’t know what I’m gonna do. My father’s being a bigger ass than ever…”

 

“Mal, things will get better. I’m sure of it.”

 

Malon clutched Link tightly.

 

“I sure hope you’re right.”

 

The two embraced, knowing that no matter what they would do next, it would be with each other.

 

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Link caressed Malon’s cheek.

 

“You talk too much,” Malon smiled before leaning in to kiss him.

 

Navi watched from the bedside table. She had no doubt that the two would be happy together.

 

As they were mid-kiss, however, the door burst open. Malon slowly fixed her eyes onto the doorway, where her father stood.

 

His lips still touching Malon’s, Link did the same before he realized exactly what he was doing at that very second.

 

_Well fuck, guess I’m dying here. Been a good run- actually, no, it’s been pretty shitty throughout, but at least it ended great._

 

“Well,” Talon cocked an eyebrow. “What have we here?”

 

“I can explain,” Link quickly sputtered. “See, funny story, I was _not_ actually making out with your daughter when you walked in- no, I was just practicing CPR-”

 

“Can it, boy, I know what kissin’ looks like.”

 

“No you don’t.”

 

“Link, it’s fine. Truth be told, I’m kinda glad yer all in one place. See, the thing is… Mal, I’m sorry. I really, truly am. About everything- the dating, the yelling, all of it. I get it- you’re a grown woman capable of protecting yerself.”

 

Talon took a deep breath.

 

“I just wanted to say that, effective immediately, yer allowed to date whoever the hell you want. I ain’t gonna stop ya- I may offer some of my thoughts and opinions when you may not want it, but you can handle yourself, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.”

 

Malon couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

 

“Wait… really?! Really?! Dad… what happened to cause this?”

 

“Well, me and Ingo had a talk and he helped me realize what an ass I’ve been. Be sure to thank him when you come home.”

 

“I…”

 

“Oh, and Link. Sorry to you about everything, too. If you want, ye can have yer old job back.”

 

“Wait, are you positive?”

 

“Yep. You can start again today if you want.”

 

“Thank you so much, sir.”

 

“And you have my full permission to date my daughter.”

 

What had been the worst period in Link’s life had become the best. He couldn’t believe it. Everything was going right. It was too good to be true.

 

“But if you hurt her, I’ll fuckin’ end you.”

 

“Fair.”

 

“Now let’s get y’all back home.”

 

As the trio walked back to the ranch, Link swooped Malon into his arms, carrying her bridal style. Malon giggled, and Link lifted her up in order to kiss her once more.

 

For Link Forrester, life was good…

 

…

 

But it’d be a lie to say this story ends here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, the conflict between Talon's refusal to let his daughter date and Link & Malon's refusal to follow that has been thoroughly concluded. But it'd be stupid to end the story with that, not when there's so many other plot threads and concepts left hanging! We're not even done with Link & Malon's senior year yet! And we still haven't seen Link and Malon as a couple beyond the few times they say "I love you" and/or kiss! Point being, there's still a lot of unexplored plot left for us, and ending it here would be a horrible idea.


	31. In Your Arms Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets come out in a moment of vulnerability.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: The following chapter contains sexual themes and content. If you do not desire to see such content, then I advise you skip this chapter and move onto the next. No other chapters are planned to have explicitly sexual content, so logically the warning only applies to this chapter.

Link sat in Kokiri Circle, happy as could be. He couldn’t believe the events that transpired earlier that day. After months of waiting, he finally had Malon back in his life.

 

Now he hoped that he could keep it that way. It was one thing to be finally dating Malon. It was another to stay with her. And any mistakes he made could spell the end.

 

But for now, he could enjoy what he had.

 

When they had initially gone back to the ranch, father and daughter took extra time to reconcile. Everything at the hotel had transpired so fast that everyone needed a minute to cool off.

 

“Mal… I’m so sorry… I only wanted to protect ya…”

 

“It’s fine, Dad… it’s all good…”

 

Link ultimately made the decision to leave and give them their moment.

 

Almost immediately after returning to Kokiri Circle, Link went over to Saria. Simply spotting Link’s beaming smile was enough to get Saria to realize that things had ended well.

 

“Oh my gosh, I am so happy for you two! And you’re positive that Talon won’t interfere this time?”

 

“Nope, her father’s good with us dating. We’re out and in the open now.”

 

“What’re ya planning to do now that that’s the case?”

 

“Well, we’ve got a week of spring break, so I guess whatever tickles our fancy.”

 

Saria skipped indoors. Later that day at the ranch, Link and Malon sat down at the tables.

 

“So…” Malon tapped the table repeatedly.

 

“Any ideas on what we’re gonna be doing?”

 

“Well, we’ve got a week to catch up… so, to start things, how’s life been in the past few months?”

 

“Shit, to say the least. I’ve had better days.”

 

“I bet. Heard you took it pretty badly.”

 

“And where’d you hear that?”

 

“From some girls gossipping in the halls. They said you looked like a drunken hobo, and you didn’t shave for ages.”

 

“Hey! That’s-”

 

“Completely and totally accurate,” Navi butted in. “All of it, really.”

 

“Fairy Boy, that’s… not at all healthy or normal. Goddesses, what if something worse were to happen? I mean, you can’t just shut down every time something bad happens to you!”

 

“Yeah,” Navi agreed. “I mean, you’re not this kind of guy. You’re normally a quiet- but kinda snarky- kid, somebody who prefers not to make a big deal of anything. But when something bad happens? You act like the moon is seconds from hitting the town and killing everyone!”

 

Link raised his hand up to motion Navi and Malon to stop, wanting no more of the present conversation.

 

“Can we be talking about anything else? I really don’t want to hear this.”

 

“Sure, but don’t think this is the last time we’ll bring it up.”

 

The next afternoon, Link and Malon went to Kanalet Castle, a medieval-themed restaurant situated in southern Lanayru. The place had an arena and housed a tournament in which knights competed. Granted, the knights were really paid employees/actors and the tournament was more scripted than any wrestling show Link could ever find on TV, but it was still entertaining.

 

“This would be a good place to bring kids,” Malon observed.

 

Link cocked an eyebrow. “Not even through the first official date and you’re already wanting kids?”

 

“Well, I’m just saying it as a general statement.”

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

Malon gave Link a playful shove. “C’mon, Fairy Boy, you’ve known I wanted kids since we first met.”

 

“Yeah, but that was half a decade ago. We never brought it up again except for that one night last summer, so I had no reason to believe you still wanted any.”

 

“Well, now you know.”

 

“Yeah, but I think now’s a bit too early to talk about it, especially since we’re not even out of high school. Maybe save that discussion for when we’re a bit further into our relationship, or when we’ve had time to experience life. When we’ve had a good run, then we can talk children.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose it is a bit too early to consider children. Heh, can you imagine that, we’re taking finals at Hyrule Academy and at the same time I’m expecting a child?”

 

“Yeah. Forget the hell I went through to date you, your father would skin me alive if I got you pregnant out of wedlock.”

 

“Speaking of…”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Well, about the wedlock stuff… what do you suppose we do about… you know… sex?”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“I mean, I was just thinking… we _are_ teenagers… teenagers madly in love. And most of the kids at our school have had some form of intimacy in one way or another, I was just wondering if maybe we should discuss the possibility that we might… you know… wanna do it?” 

 

“I can’t believe it. I’m at a medieval restaurant for kids and my girlfriend’s talking about the chance of us having sex. Is this real life?”

 

“Knock it off, Fairy Boy, I’m being serious.”

 

“Well, I mean, the possibility is there. If you wanna and I wanna, then I guess the door’s always open… I just hope your father doesn’t get in the way of that.”

 

“I doubt he will. And if he would, we can just be discreet about it.”

 

“Yeah, we can.”

 

“There _is_ the issue of protection, though.”

 

“I can go out and buy some tonight,” Link gave a smile. “You know, just in case.”

 

“Okay. That works for me…”

 

…

 

“And what are you so pent up about?”

 

“Well, Navi, I basically told my girlfriend that I’d be open to sex in our relationship.”

 

“I don’t see a problem there. If she’s cool with it, and you’re cool with it, then what’s the issue?”

 

“I’ve never done that kind of thing before!!”

 

“Neither has she, though. Consider it a learning experience.”

 

“I mean, what if it’s not romantic enough? What if I’m a mess and can’t get it going? What if I don’t last long enough to make it fun? What if she doesn’t enjoy herself? What if I don’t enjoy myself?”

 

“You watch way too many romance flicks. You don’t really think that everyone’s first time is the best sex they’ve had in their lives, do you? Because that’s some movie magic bullshit right there. Ask anybody you know- Zelda, anybody on the ranch, hell, even walk right up to Talon and ask _him._ They’re gonna say the same thing. It’s gonna be messy. It’s possibly gonna be anticlimactic. It might even be unenjoyable. But if you don’t try, you won’t learn. If you don’t learn, then there’s no point in the first place. You haven’t even gone out and bought the condoms yet, hell, you’re not even getting any action _tonight_ as far as we know, and you’re already freaking out. Worry about it when the time comes, or preferably, don’t worry at all.”

 

Link took a deep breath.

 

“Okay, you’re right. You are. I don’t need to worry about this. I shouldn’t worry about this.”

 

“Damn straight you shouldn’t.”

 

“Alright,” Link got up.

 

“Where ya going?”

 

“To buy those damned condoms before I forget.”

 

There wasn’t a single major establishment in Castle Town that didn’t know Link and Malon’s faces now. They had gone to so many over the past few days that it all became some sort of blur. The couple was excited to go back to school, even, ever since Talon managed to get them back in the same classes.

 

Later, Malon managed to convince her father to let her spend the penultimate night of spring break at Kokiri Circle. Malon had forgotten how good the food there was, and how homey the place felt.

 

She didn’t forget the look on Mido’s face when he saw her. Never before had someone looked so calm yet simultaneously like they were seconds from popping a blood vessel.

 

After dinner, Link took Malon into his cabin, where she spotted the ring he had bought with the bracelet and earrings he gave Malon.

 

“And you said I was rushing things.”

 

“I didn’t want to buy the ring, but it was all-or-nothing as a package deal with the items I gave you on Day of the Golden Goddesses, so here we are.”

 

The Deku Tree greeted Malon with his usual courtesy, and let her go on her way. Most of the Kokiri reacted with surprise that Link had managed to get himself a girlfriend. Some even cheered him on. A very small group of them, however, discussed the events that had transpired with Nabooru, and wondered if things would go the same way with Malon.

 

Link and Malon elected to ignore that minority. Neither of them wanted to leave the relationship they had built together in the past few days, so why listen to any of the rumors that said otherwise?

 

…

 

Malon was woken up by what felt like someone rustling through the bedsheets. At first she assumed someone was trying to grab her or Link, but soon after she realized that the rustling _was_ Link.

 

Turning to the other side of the bed, she saw Link tossing and turning. He still appeared to be asleep, but the amount of movement would not give any hints to that.

 

Then he began to mumble under his sleep. His breathing became erratic, and soon he began flailing.

 

“Fairy Boy?”

 

Nothing. Link continued to flail around, moving around once more.

 

“Fairy Boy!”

 

No response.

 

“Fairy Boy!!!”

 

Link suddenly jolted upright, panting and sweating.

 

“What… what was that? Are you okay?!”

 

Link turned away, almost in embarrassment.

 

Navi woke up from the bedside table and realized what was going on.

 

“Link. You better tell her, or for Farore’s sake I will! No ifs, ands, or buts about it!”

 

“Tell me what?!”

 

Link turned around slowly.

 

“Well, I suppose it’s time you knew. You remember how I stayed at an orphanage prior to here, right?”

 

“I remember you telling me all of once with no details.”

 

“Well… it was a horrible place. Bullying that almost makes Ganondorf look tame, apathetic caretakers, and the overall shitty quality as a whole. The worst time was when I was stuffed into a closet by a bunch of kids I asked to hang out with. Never quite recovered from that one, and it’s why I have trouble going out and making friends to this day.”

 

“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

 

“And my mother dying… I know I really don’t mention it, but that… I still haven’t recovered from that.”

 

“Why should you be expected to?”

 

“Well, at the end of the day, between those two factors and my fear of losing anyone I get close to… I have nightmares. Daily nightmares. A lot of them. And it’s not just the scary ones, no, then I’d be more okay; at least, I’d like to believe that. I also have depressing ones. Ones where I’m surrounded by dark reflections of myself, and they constantly belittle me and nitpick every little flaw I have.”

 

Taking Link in her arms, Malon tried her best to comfort him. Cradling him softly, she whispered words of reassurement.

 

“It’s okay, Fairy Boy. It’s okay…”

 

“You don’t know that.”

 

“It’s okay. I’m here to comfort you, no matter how bad things get.”

 

“…”

 

Malon began to softly hum Epona’s Song to Link, making sure he could hear the tune. Link finally seemed to calm down.

 

“Feel better?”

 

“Sorta.”

 

“That sounds better. But I’m not letting you go until that becomes a firm ‘yes.’”

 

“Mal… I’m scared. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Anything.”

 

“Well, for now you can just forget about your worries.”

 

“And what if I can’t?”

 

“Then I’ll make you.”

 

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

 

“Any way I can…”

 

Link remained quiet.

 

“I see you actually went and bought some condoms.”

 

Link looked over to the table where Malon spotted them. “Oh, those? Yeah, I guess I did. Just in case, of course.”

 

“Well, if you’re willing to…”

 

“Willing to what?”

 

“Do I have to spell everything out to you?”

 

The moment of realization hit Link.

 

“Oh. Well then. In that case, are you absolutely sure?”

 

“Sounds like you’re the only one _not_ sure.”

 

“Well, it _is_ my first time doing any of the sort.”

 

“Fairy Boy, have you forgotten who you’re dating? I haven’t even gone on a _date_ prior to this week.”

 

“Yeah. Suppose we’re in the same boat then.”

 

“We are indeed.”

 

Sheepishly, Link broke free of Malon’s arms and removed his shirt. Almost unsure of what he should do afterwards, he threw it in a corner near the bedside table.

 

“Glad to see the past few months have been kind,” Malon commented on Link’s muscular torso.

 

Even more nervous now, Link removed his sweatpants, revealing a pair of green boxers.

 

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

 

“You.”

 

“Fair’s fair, I guess…”

 

Even more slowly than Link, Malon removed her t-shirt as well, revealing a purple bra underneath. More cautiously, she removed her shorts, and the two stood for a moment gawking at each other.

 

“We’re not even bare yet and already we’re staring,” Link snarked.

 

“Yeah, we should save the admiration for later.”

 

Hopping onto the bed, Link began to fuss at Malon’s bra.

 

“You have no experience removing a bra and it shows.”

 

“Be quiet.”

 

“Well if you do a good job later on, maybe I will be,” Malon teased.

 

Finally, Link managed to unhook the article of clothing, tossing it aside. Slowly, Malon turned to face him, nothing on her upper half anymore.

 

“…”

 

“Well, Fairy Boy? Please tell me that you’re at least not gonna puke at the sight of me naked.”

 

“In the hotel I said you were the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Now… I still hold that to be true.”

 

Malon grabbed Link and kissed him, their almost-bare bodies intertwining.

 

“Well… I suppose now’s the time to get started.”

 

Link nodded, carefully removing his boxers. He just prayed that tonight of all nights wasn’t the night things were to go wrong down there.

 

“You’re not moving…” Link noticed Malon staring at his nether regions.

 

“Well, I’m not really sure what to do next.”

 

“I gotta lead everything, huh?” Link bemusedly looked at her. Carefully gripping Malon’s hips, he slid her panties down to her ankles.

 

“Well, we’ve got the night to experiment with whatever, so I’ll just ask what you want to do now. Maybe some foreplay? Or are you simply that eager to cut to the chase and get to the main event?”

 

Malon tossed the box of condoms at Link, which gave him his answer.

 

“You didn’t buy these for nothing,” Malon smirked.

 

Link fussed with the box for a minute before he got out a condom and put it on.

 

“No, I guess I didn’t.”

 

Malon slowly eased herself onto Link, yelping in pain as Link pushed past her hymen.

 

“You okay? We can stop if you want.”

 

“It… it’s fine, Link.”

 

“It doesn’t sound or look fine. You look like you’re hurt.”

 

“It’s fine, really. I’ll manage.”

 

“Okay, but just so we’re absolutely clear: If you want out, don’t hide it. You fucking tell me.”

 

Alright… I will, Link.”

 

“Just now noticed you’re calling me by name.”

 

“Well, I bet it’d sound weird if I was in the heat of it and I just belted out ‘Fairy Boy’ as loud as I could.”

 

“Yeah, I bet it would…”

 

Gripping Malon’s hips tightly, Link continued to thrust upwards. It took all of his effort not to let loose right away, considering how tightly she was squeezing him.

 

“I… I love you, Link…”

 

Link responded by pushing Malon’s face towards his and locking her into a kiss.

 

Wanting to try a different position, Link shot up, sending Malon onto her back. It seemed to make a difference, as Malon seemed to be growing breathless by the second.

 

“Link… Link…”

 

Before Malon could say any more, she whimpered in pleasure as a wave of euphoria surged through her body. The feeling caused her to squeeze Link tighter, pushing him over the edge as well. As Link collapsed onto Malon, the two took a moment to embrace.

 

“I… love you… Link…”

 

“Right back at ya…”

 

The two stared at each other in silence, soaking in the moment. Malon felt like she had been sent to the Goddesses’ sacred realm. Link was simply relieved that things had gone decently well.

 

“And you were worried… well, I suppose life can be like the movies sometimes.”

 

Both lovers screamed as they realized that it was neither of them saying that.

 

Scanning the area, Link spotted Navi on the bedside table. Somehow, in the rush, he had completely left her unaccounted for.

 

“How long have you been there?!” Link yelled as Malon ducked behind him.

 

“The entire time. I’m surprised that you didn’t see me sooner.”

 

“You couldn’t have _left?!_ I mean, you _knew_ what we were doing!!”

 

“You didn’t ask.”

 

Link simply shook his head.

 

“Pull a stunt like this again and you’re being sealed in a bottle and thrown into Lake Hylia.”

 

…

 

Still unclothed, Malon lay awake that night, still amazed at how well her first time had gone. By all accounts, it made no sense. Both were as inexperienced as the other, yet…

 

 _Best not to dwell on it,_ Malon thought.

 

She moved a bit as Link’s hands gripped her tighter. She looked back and saw him, sleeping peacefully.

 

“It’s okay, Fairy Boy…” she smiled. “I’m not leaving. And I won’t leave. Not ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done. No more writing smut for me, at least for a while.


	32. Dawn of a New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had missed this, indeed. But now he never had to lose it. Now, he would always have it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have our next major arc coming up after this chapter. With all the references to Termina in this fic, I say it's about time we actually visit the place.

Link woke up at the crack of dawn. And for once, it wasn’t by a nightmare. In fact, he’d had quite an amazing dream. He woke up by his own volition, and he felt like he had the best night of sleep ever.

 

Something had to be up. He must still be in a dream, one that would turn into a nightmare in seconds.

 

Trying to turn, he instead found himself face-to-face with Malon’s sleeping form. It was then that the reality of the previous night had hit him.

 

“Sleep well?”

 

Navi floated above the bedside table, reclined on her back.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You’re up awfully early today, and you don’t seem to be tired or terrified either. Hits all the marks on a good night’s rest.”

 

“Y’know… you’re right. I didn’t get woken up by a nightmare this time. I think that’s the first time in years that’s been the case.”

 

“Wow… I’m amazed. I’m honestly, really, quite happy for you.”

 

“Feel a bit sore, though.”

 

“Do I even need to explain  _ why _ you feel that way?”

 

“No, no you don’t. I remember quite well.”

 

“She’s out like a light…”

 

“Yeah…”

 

Link looked back at Malon, who was snoring softly.

 

“If Talon finds out, I am  _ so _ dead.”

 

“Yeah, well, how’s he gonna find out? I mean, unless you  _ tell _ him you fucked his daughter, there’s just no way. What is he gonna do, decide to sneak into this cabin and search for a used bloody condom in the trash?”

 

“Fair point.”

 

Link sank back onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling contently.

 

“…F-Fairy Boy?”

 

Slowly, Malon pulled herself up.

 

“Mornin’.”

 

“Good morning.”

 

Malon wrapped her arms around Link, pressing their bodies together into a hug.

 

“I had a blast last night.”

 

“Yeah, me too. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself that much.”

 

“How’d ya sleep?”

 

“I’ll be honest. This is the first time in years that I’ve been able to sleep without nightmares. I really gotta thank you, Mal.”

 

“What, are you sure I had something to do with that?”

 

“I mean, I’m not about to chalk it up to coincidence.”

 

The two embraced once more as Malon planted a kiss on Link’s cheek.

 

At noon, the Kokiri gathered at the tables to eat lunch. Sitting with Saria, Link & Malon made no attempt to hide their relationship.

 

“Y’know, Link,” Navi commented, “after watching you and Malon right now, I don’t think you have the right to complain about the countless public displays of affection at Hyrule Academy ever again.”

 

“Yeah, well you don’t get to complain about us after that stunt you pulled last night.”

 

“Okay, I suppose you have a point there.”

 

“Wait,” Saria butted in. “What’d she do?”

 

“Violated my privacy.”

 

“You didn’t tell me to leave!”

 

“I shouldn’t have to! It’s basic decency!”

 

“I’ve seen you in other compromising situations!”

 

“Oh yeah? Well, what about Malon?! Have you seen  _ her _ in any compromising situations?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Liar.”

 

“I have! She’ll vouch for me!”

 

“Listen, it’s okay, Navi. Just don’t do it again. If not for me, then for her.”

 

Malon nodded. “Yeah, I’d really appreciate it if you  _ didn’t _ do that again.”

 

“Oh. Sorry.”

 

Malon turned to Link. “So, you’re saying you didn’t have a nightmare for once?”

 

“Yeah. I actually had a pretty good dream.”

 

“Remember what it was?”

 

“It was a relaxing one. We lived together in a small village on an island. You had the brightest blue dress I’d ever seen, and the most beautiful flower in your hair. We were… content together, exploring the world around us and taking it one day at a time.”

 

“The two of us?”

 

“Yeah. If we’re being honest, it was nice, finally dreaming of something that gave me hope and not something that took it away. It was a glimpse at what my… no, what  _ our _ future could look like.”

 

“Are you suggesting we move to an island? Because I’m about to stop you there and say I ain’t interested.”

 

“No, I wasn’t trying to suggest that.”

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

Simply nodding, Link continued to eat his lunch in silence.

 

…

 

In Hyrule Academy, gossip spread like wildfire regardless of who started it. News that Malon was finally allowed to date was one such piece of gossip. Though, considering that compared to most of the girls in Hyrule Academy, Malon was considered by most to be relatively unattractive (which meant people weren’t exactly knocking on her door in waves trying to ask her out even without Talon’s interference), this meant nothing to most people other than having something to gossip about the instant spring break ended.

 

What really pushed that gossip, though, was the news that she had a new boyfriend as well. For all of one day, Link and Malon’s new relationship was the talk of the school. Everybody was talking about it.

 

“Hey, Zelda, did you hear?”

 

“About what?”

 

“That farm chick, her father finally let her date, and now she’s got a new boyfriend!”

 

Zelda froze. If that were the case, then…

 

“What’s the lucky guy’s name?”

 

“Started with an L, I think. Was it Lincoln or something?”

 

“Was it Link, maybe?”

 

“Yes, that was it!”

 

Zelda smiled. Things had worked out after all. Link had finally done it.

 

Darunia was the last to receive the news, and once he did, he absolutely hounded Link with questions.

 

Actually, that was fairly accurate to how most of the day went for both Link and Malon. Hounded with questions at every turn, with nobody letting up. Link still remembered animal science, where Ruto would not stop asking about the details. He had declined to comment out of a fear that she’d react to the truth rather poorly. Actually, it would be more accurate to say he didn’t respond because he was still pissed at her.

 

_ Is this what popular people have to deal with every day? _

 

In the hallways, Link was walking until…   
  


“Yo! You’re Link Forrester, right?”

 

Link simply continued to walk, electing to ignore whoever was calling out to him. He didn’t recognize the voice, which was expected since the speaker didn’t seem to know him either.

 

“Oh, c’mon! I know you’re not exactly talkative, but just hear me out!”

 

Link turned around to face the person. A lanky boy with long red hair, Link recognized him as one of the many saps who had asked out Malon- and failed horribly.

 

Link shook his head, turned around, and continued to walk.

 

“Dude!”

 

“What?!”

 

Link turned around, now angry. “Y’know, I was having a decent enough day before this. What do you want?”

 

“I just wanted to get your side of the story about you dating the farm girl and all. I mean, I’ve heard all these rumors, so…”

 

“The rumors should be all you need.”

 

Link continued to walk away.

 

_ Why is everyone so interested in hearing what I have to say? _

 

…

 

Locking the gate as soon as Epona walked into her stall, Link left the stables and found himself facing Ingo.

 

“I don’t think I properly thanked you for knocking some sense into Talon.”

 

“Don’t dwell on it. It’s the first and last thing I’m ever doin’ for ya.”

 

Ingo continued what he was doing as Link walked indoors. There, Malon was preparing dinner.

 

“Do you think Dad’ll be pissed that I cooked his favorite meal while he’s negotiating cattle sales with a farm on the other side of town?”

 

“Possibly. He doesn’t hate leftovers, does he?”

 

“No, but I’ve seen your appetite. If this dish is as good as I think it’ll turn out, you won’t leave any leftovers.”

 

“I missed this. The simplicity of it all, just enjoying my day on the ranch.”

 

“I think you’re the first kid I’ve seen complain about getting to relax instead of working for a few months.”

 

Link simply chuckled.

 

“Y’know, some asshole came up today and asked me about us.”

 

“Ugh, I can’t tell you how many girls did that to me today.”

 

“I mean, I didn’t mind when it was just friends asking, but if I have to hear Ruto ask me ‘Did you two have sex?’ one more time, I’m gonna flip my lid.”

 

“She didn’t leave you alone either, huh?”

 

“It’s funny, considering that after what she did to pry us apart in the first place she should absolutely know that we are  _ not _ on speaking terms.”

 

Malon nodded. Just the day before, Link had told her what Ruto did, and it only served to make her hate the girl more. “I mean, what are you supposed to say to that question anyways? ‘Yes?’”

 

“She’d probably flip her lid in that scenario. The truth is not always a wise choice with her.”

 

“Dinner’s just about done. I’ll leave it to cool for a few minutes while I go tell everyone.”

 

“Yeah, but Ingo might not come. He never did like the nights where you cooked.”

 

“His loss.”

 

Malon turned off the flame and Link wrapped her in a hug. Malon giggled and Link accompanied her in telling everyone that dinner was finished.

 

He had missed this, indeed. But now he never had to lose it. Now, he would always have it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And no, Talon didn't get any leftovers that time. He was not pleased.


	33. Trip to Termina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The seniors of Hyrule Academy go on a weeklong trip to the nation of Termina. Once there, two friends discuss their future plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's gonna feel a bit short compared to the next two, which also cover Termina. In part, it's because I plan on discussing the next few plot points in these next chapters. In part, it's also because I can't stick to a simple schedule and wound up saving Day 2 of the trip for next chapter to give me room for other things in my life.

Link lugged his giant suitcase through the gates of Hyrule Academy. Everything he was bringing on the trip to Termina, all in one place. Toothbrush, a generous amount of rupees (Talon had insisted he give Link money for the trip and not require the boy to use his own), a passport, everything.

 

Malon also lugged in a smaller, but still fairly huge suitcase. The two had debated bringing birth control on the trip, but decided that the punishment for getting caught having sex was not worth the risk. Hyrule Academy was fairly big on abstinence, especially following what students liked to call the Hyrule Academy Baby Boom of 5040. Explanations were not necessary- even the new freshmen in the present day could summarize the event. In the years after, the staff made sure to punish students caught in sexual activities during school hours extra hard (even compared to how they were punished before), but if you asked Link, there were some blind spots- for one, you could _smell_ the evidence of Ganondorf’s almost-daily bathroom romps with different members of the cheerleading squad.

 

And apparently, that rule extended to out-of-country school trips. Some seniors had been given weeklong suspensions following the previous year’s trip for this very reason. If Link needed a better reason to not try his luck, then he wouldn’t get it.

 

Link was rooming with Darunia for the trip, and the two couldn’t be more hyped up. Likewise, Saria and Malon were rooming together as well. Frequent conversations were had about how this would be the most amazing trip they’d ever go on.

 

And now, the day was at hand. The beginning of April was an exciting time for the seniors of Hyrule Academy. As the hours passed and the final bell rang, an announcement blared over the loudspeaker.

 

“Good afternoon, students. This is your headmaster speaking. At this time, all seniors attending the field trip to Termina must have their luggage and any necessary documentation ready. Once all items are prepared, meet up in the main lobby for further instructions.”

 

Everybody did as instructed, and by 4:30 the group was already at the airport boarding their flight. Link watched with amusement as Rauru had to remind Mido that no, he could not record a vlog while they were on the plane, as Mido protested the headmaster’s decision to confiscate his video camera to prevent further issues.

 

Link fell asleep on Malon’s shoulder as the plane took off. By the time he woke up, everybody was getting off.

 

“We there already?”

 

“Yeah. I’m frankly surprised you slept the entire time.”

 

“Well, everybody,” Rauru announced, “we’re here. Welcome to Termina.”

 

_~Termina Field Trip, Day 1- Clock Town~_

 

The bus pulled up to a luxurious hotel. Known as the Clock Tower Inn, the hotel was the cornerstone of tourism in Clock Town, Termina’s capital.

 

“And we’ll be staying here for the week?”

 

“Yes, we will. You will each be handed keycards to your rooms. Do not lose them, for you will have to buy replacements from your own pocket if you do.”

 

Link & Darunia’s room was situated on the fifth floor balcony. There were two queen-sized beds, a large TV, and a large selection of games to play. Inviting Saria & Malon up to their room, the four played Monopoly until dinnertime.

 

“This is one of the best days of my life.”

 

“And we’ve got four more days here, too.”

 

“This is… wow.”

 

Dinner was even more amazing. Rauru had managed to get reservations to a famous restaurant, and the establishment’s fame was well deserved. Among the countless dishes included Dinalfos tail and seasoned  Baba sprouts. As the group packed up to return to the hotel, Link saw Ganondorf pocket a bottle of Chateau Romani, a famous alcoholic drink brewed on a ranch. Clearly, he planned on him and some friends getting absolutely wasted, despite Rauru threatening suspension to anybody caught with alcohol on the trip, even if they were of age. Link did not bother trying to comprehend this decision on Ganondorf’s part.

 

Returning to his room, Link put on a documentary about the Dodongo population living in Death Mountain Crater.

 

“That’s an odd choice for a movie, Brother,” Darunia walked in wearing a yellow bathrobe.

 

“Well, there’s nothing good on for free, so I might as well learn something.”

 

“I hear that, Brother.”

 

Darunia sat down next to Link. When the documentary ended, Link walked outside and watched the moonrise.

 

“We’ve only got a few months left of school, and then… we’re adults.”

 

“Yeah. Got any college plans?”

 

“Actually, it’s funny you say that. Remember how I applied for Castle Town University last October?”

 

“Did you get in?”

 

“Yeah I did!”

 

Darunia hi-fived Link with a force hard enough to break the poor Hylian’s hand. Luckily, it didn’t, but Link still staggered back.

 

“Is tuition gonna be an issue?”

 

“I should have enough between the weekly checks the Deku Tree gets and my own savings,” Link smiled.

 

“Things are finally looking up for you, aren’t they?”

 

“Yeah, it seems to be that way.”

 

“What about Malon, is she going?”

 

“No, I think she’s planning to go to the community college across the street from Castle Town Hall. Though, for what, I have no idea.”

 

“I’m happy for ya, Brother. Really, I am.”

 

“What about you, what do you plan on doing?”

 

“Me? I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll go into wrestling like my brother. Maybe… well, maybe I’ll go into a culinary career.”

 

“Cooking? You?”

 

“I know it’s not exactly what you’d think of as my first career choice, but I’ve actually got quite a bit of talent for it. Maybe I could end up on one of those cooking shows."

 

“Y’mean, something like The Great Hyrulean Bake-Off?”

 

“Well, yeah, something like that.”

 

After a minute of silence, Darunia walked off to bed.

 

"This is the most amazing trip I've ever been on," Darunia said in pure bliss. "The food, the sights, it's all great."

 

Link agreed with him. “Four days left, right? Well, let’s make the most of them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: The seniors & staff of Hyrule Academy visit some of the various locales of Termina and pleas of forgiveness are made.


	34. Forgive & Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The field trip continues as Link finds himself torn on whether to forgive someone who has wronged him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgiveness is a common theme through this story. We saw it with Malon & Talon, we're seeing it this chapter, and maybe one more time after that. Though if I'll incorporate it that third time remains to be determined.

_~Termina Field Trip, Day 2- Southern Swamp~_

 

“Legends say that an ancient kingdom of Termina once existed in this very region. Supporting this theory are the ruins of what appear to be a palace deep within the swamp. If you want to see them for yourselves, then follow me.”

 

Students were amazed as the tour guide took them to a series of canoes that would take them through the swamp. The swamp itself was a fairly large body of water, with many trees and fungi scattered about.

 

As the tour progressed, the students and staff did indeed spot what appeared to be a series of ruins dotting the area. The design of the architecture reminded Link of Hyrule Castle.

 

Many of the students had gone to the gift shop prior to the tour, and most annoyingly, Tingle had bought what appeared to be a party horn for Goddesses-know what reason other than to bother the students. Link, who was on the canoe with him alongside a quarter of the students, was seconds from throwing it into the swamp.

 

Ganondorf took care of that for him, and for once Link had to side with him on that matter.

 

“Finally,” a student commented. “That was way too annoying.”

 

Other students murmured in agreement until suddenly, Tingle jumped from his seat, yelled what appeared to be a battle cry, and jumped into the swamp.

 

“What the hell?!” Link cried out in shock.

 

“Did that guy seriously just…?”

 

The tour guide stopped the canoe, evidently fearing for his job.

 

“I’ve never had somebody do that before! Not even if they lost something in the swamp!”

 

“What do we do?!”

 

“We get him out, obviously! What, are we just gonna let him drown?”

 

Most students disagreed with letting even someone as despised as Tingle die on what was supposed to be a relaxed trip. But at the same time, nobody was exactly leaping out of their seats to grab him from the murky waters.

 

“Well?”

 

“I’m not getting him.”

 

“Nor I.”

 

“I can’t even swim.”

 

Ruto sighed in frustration, evidently ready to dive in and grab him. But as she leaned over to jump into the swamp, Tingle’s hand suddenly grabbed the side of the canoe. Ruto screamed in surprise and leapt back, rocking the canoe. Tingle simply looked in confusion before returning to his seat, with a soggy and torn party horn in his hands.

 

“You play that infernal racket again and I’ll make you eat it,” Ganondorf leered as Tingle raised the horn to his mouth.

 

“Mr. Dragmire!” Rauru called out. “You will do no such thing on this trip!”

 

Ganondorf simply shot Rauru an angry glare.

 

“Heh, the bastard’s so weird he’d probably eat it without you makin’ him,” a jock sneered to Ganondorf.

 

“Yeah, probably,” Ganondorf and his cronies laughed.

 

Though the tour continued on as normally planned, the instant the group returned to Clock Town for the night, Tingle caught an extremely bad fever. Rauru took him to the ER, where doctors diagnosed him with leptospirosis.

 

“Lepto-what?” Darunia asked upon first hearing what happened from Rauru.

 

“Leptospirosis,” Zelda explained. “A waterborne illness traditionally spread through infected urine from water-dwelling creatures, leptospirosis causes fever, muscle weakness, nausea, diarrhea, and in rare cases, death.”

 

“Infected urine, huh? Knowing Tingle, we better keep our distance.”

 

“Wait, you said death. Is Tingle gonna kick the bucket?”

 

Rauru shook his head. “The doctors said he’d be fine, but he’s being sent home for the time being.”

 

Tingle’s father was set to pick him up early the next morning. As the students discussed the events at the swamp during dinner, Link talked with his friends about their next planned activity- a ski trip at the top of Snowhead Mountain in northern Termina.

 

“Well, I don’t know how to ski.”

 

“That’s why they have classes.”

 

“It can’t be that difficult. If they thought there’d be a problem they wouldn’t be allowing us to do this in the first place.”

 

Saria nodded in agreement.

 

“I mean, it’s not like this school’s trying to get us killed.”

 

“Yeah, I guess we’re covered in that regard.”

 

“Hey, I was thinking maybe the four of us could go to the shopping center after dinner. There are a few things I’ve been thinking about getting.”

 

“Maybe tomorrow. I’m pretty tired right now.”

 

When dinner wrapped up, students returned to their hotel rooms, where they stayed for the rest of the night.

 

“Tomorrow’s gonna be an experience…” Malon brushed her hair.

 

“Yeah, I bet it is…” Saria nodded.

 

 

 

_~Termina Field Trip, Day 3- Snowhead Mountain~_

 

The Snowhead Lodge was packed full of people when the seniors and staff arrived. Half an hour was spent simply figuring out how students would fit inside the place, and the bitter cold on the mountain served to make this half hour rather excruciating.

 

“Can we go back?” many students began to complain. What had been a fun idea was now costing them any feeling in their extremities. Link was seconds from turning around and going back down the ski lift, and Malon was seconds from joining him.

 

“This is some bull,” Navi shivered. “All this to ski, what, once? We could do that at Mt. Hebra back home in Castle Town!”

 

“Agreed.”

 

At long last, room was cleared and students poured into the lodge. Waiting for them were mugs of hot chocolate, which were the best mugs of hot chocolate Link had ever had in his life.

 

The lodge itself was fairly quiet, a homey place. It was quite comfortable, and if it weren’t for the half hour of frostbite spent to get there, Link would say it was the highlight of the trip so far.

 

The ski instructor was fairly affable, and the demonstration he gave was enough of a tutorial so that the students wouldn’t wipe out immediately.

 

First up was Mido, who, at first, was doing quite well for a first-timer. Then he made the mistake of trying to film himself doing so well, and promptly lost any control over his speed and direction he once had.

 

Screams of terror were heard as Mido tumbled into the ground, which didn’t break his momentum but did break his video camera as this mistake caused him to fall down the mountain as an unrecognizable mass of snow.

 

Once the laughter subsided, students began to panic.

 

“So, he’s probably dead.”

 

“Nah, he should be fine.”

 

“That looked like it hurt.”

 

Mido was perfectly okay, except for the fact that now it would be next-to-impossible to impress anybody ever again after he had made such a fool of himself.

 

“Nice going, dumbass,” Navi snarked.

 

For once, Mido didn’t reply. He was either too embarrassed or too frozen to do so, but either way, Navi wasn’t complaining.

 

Other students went down the mountain with considerably more success. When Link’s turn was up, he knew that one mistake and he’d be going down the mountain as a snowball or leaving the trip in a bodybag.

 

Taking deep breaths, he closed his eyes and took off.

 

He was going at a speed he didn’t think was possible, but Link was at least upright. He at least had some control over his movement.

 

Before he knew it, he was down the mountain. He spotted a heap of snow (evidently from Mido’s attempt) and nearby were several students, getting on the ski lift from their attempts.

 

“Pretty neat, dude,” one student called out.

 

“Thanks. I thought I’d be a dead man.”

 

“Hey, even if you were, you couldn’t possibly have done worse than that Kokiri kid.”

 

“That is _very_ true.”

 

Back at the lodge, Link enjoyed one last mug of hot chocolate before Rauru announced their departure from Snowhead. The next day would be considerably warmer, as they were supposed to be going to the Great Bay.

 

After dinner that night, Link was all set to go back to his room. He had managed to convince Rauru to let him invite Malon & Saria to his room to play some games. He had an entire stack rented from the hotel, and everything was set to take place.

 

“‘Spanghew’ is _not_ a word,” Malon leered at Darunia mere seconds after the Goron took his second turn in Scrabble.

 

“Yeah, it is!”

 

“Alright, then. What’s it mean?”

 

“Uh… I dunno. But it’s in one of those books I had to read for literature this year, I swear!”

 

“I would like to ask what kind of book would use ‘spanghew’ in it.”

 

Before the conversation could go further, someone knocked on the door. Volunteering to get it, Link saw himself facing someone he would rather not.

 

“Go. Away. Now.”

 

“Link, please!” Ruto gave him a sad look. “Just humor me!”

 

“Humor you? For what?! To tell me I’m making a mistake by dating Malon?”

 

“No! I just… listen, that time at Four Giants-”

 

“Which one? The one where I chewed you out for being an awful person, or the one where I chewed you out for being an awful person?”

 

“The second time. I took what you said to heart. Really, I did. And it’s got me thinking… I really have been a bitch, haven’t I?”

 

“No, really? I’m so shocked.”

 

“Link! Cut the crap!”

 

“No, _you_ cut the crap, and tell me what you’re doing here!”

 

“I wanted to apologize. For driving you and the redhead apart. For being an overall bitch. All of it, I want to apologize for.”

 

“What makes you think I’ll forgive you?”

 

“Nothing. I don’t expect you to, and part of me doesn’t want you to. But I just want you to know… I’m trying to change. I’m taking what you said to heart, and using it to become a better person.”

 

“You’re not shitting me right now?”

 

“I promise I’m not.”

 

“Well, I’d like to see this change up close. The fact that you were willing to go dive in and rescue Tingle yesterday- had he not swam back before you could try- told me that you were at least trying, but one good deed does not absolve you of what you’ve done. I want to see this change for myself. Then I’ll consider forgiveness.”

 

“I… I promise I won’t waste this chance.”

 

“I hope you don’t.”

 

Ruto walked away as Link closed the door. Returning to the game, Darunia turned to him.

 

“So, what was that all about?”

 

Link smiled. “Eh, just something that needed to be said.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Termina arc wraps up next chapter, and in that chapter I've got something I've saved up for quite a bit.
> 
> I debated giving Tingle dialogue, but decided I didn't know how to write it. It would just be random babble, and ironically I'm not good at creating intentional randomness.
> 
> Also, spanghew IS a word. It means to violently throw something into the air.


	35. Departing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the trip comes to a close, Link & Malon get a moment alone, where Link learns about a traumatic event that happened to the Lon family some fifteen years prior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind me, just revealing something that's been hinted at a few times before...
> 
> ...And concluding the Termina arc, but that kinda takes a backseat near the end...

_ ~Termina Field Trip, Day 4- Great Bay~ _

 

“You don’t plan on actually  _ building _ that all by yourself, do you?”

 

“Of course not! You’re helping me.”

 

“What? Zelda, I don’t know if you yourself understand what you're saying, but that is a model of Hyrule Castle on your phone, and you’re saying you want me and my friends to help you make it out of sand?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Are you even sure we’ll get halfway done with that thing?”

 

“We’re spending six hours at the beach. If, say, ten people helped, including us two, it’d be an effortless task done in four hours.”

 

Link gave Zelda a perplexed look.

 

“My apologies, Link. You don’t have to help me if you don’t want to. I’ve got friends who aren’t planning on doing anything but sunbathe; I’ll just get their help.”

 

“I mean, I can help a bit.”

 

“It’s fine, really.”

 

“No, I’m cool with helping for a while. Most of the stuff on the boardwalk isn’t open for another hour, so I might as well lend a hand.”

 

An hour passed as Link, Zelda, Saria, Malon, and several of Zelda’s friends helped build the foundation. Darunia elected not to join out of a fear that his large hands would cause more harm than help.

 

“That looks pretty good right now,” Link reviewed what they had done so far.

 

“You go and have your fun,” Zelda waved him off.

 

“Alright.”

 

Link and his friends walked off to the boardwalk as Zelda continued the castle.

 

“So,” Link chewed on a slice of pizza, “how’s life?”

 

“The usual,” Saria commented.

 

“Hey,” Darunia butted in. “Now that we’re all together and unoccupied at the same time, you gotta fill us in on you and Malon. How’d you do it? How’d you get her father to finally let you date?”

 

“He ran off with her to a hotel until Talon finally gave up,” Saria and Navi both commented at the same time.

 

“That is not even close to the truth.”

 

“Wait, I’m the  _ only _ one who doesn’t know what happened?”

 

“I just didn’t think the details were that important to you. Sorry, dude.”

 

“It’s fine. But if that’s not the truth, what is?”

 

“Yeah, Malon ran off to a hotel, but that wasn’t why her father relented. Her father relenting was less so related to the running away and moreso him realizing he can’t be an overprotective parent all his life. I suppose this just sped the process up. So I guess that was a bit close, but still got quite a few things muddled up.”

 

Traversing the boardwalk, the group came across a series of games, where Darunia pointed out what appeared to be a ring toss game. Darunia tossed the woman behind the counter a blue rupee and got a set of rings.

 

“Hey, I bet you 20 rupees you can’t get the grand prize,” Darunia passed the rings over to Malon.

 

“20 rupees says I can,” Malon pouted.

 

The grand prize could only be won by landing on the red peg in the center. Malon carefully analyzed the best angle to throw at. And because Malon was a rather impatient person, by “analyze” all she did was tilt her head and throw the ring as hard as she could.

 

Unsurprisingly, the first ring missed. The second ring bounced off a few pegs, but ultimately fell too. As ring after ring fell to the ground, Malon clutched her last ring. And she threw it with extreme care and determination, watching it soar through the air.

 

Then everyone watched as the ring proceeded to anticlimactically bounce off the side of one of the pegs and fall to the ground. Malon absentmindedly grabbed at where her pile of rings was, having forgotten that she had just used her last one.

 

“Oh, son of a-”

 

“That’s 20 rupees,” Darunia laughed.

 

“Double or nothing.”

 

“Alright, but you’re paying for the game this time too.”

 

Malon sighed and coughed up the fee. She tried once more and failed once more, and stomped her foot in frustration.

 

“Calm down,” Link hesitated in fear at how angry his girlfriend could get. “It’s just a game. And 45 rupees, but that’s neither here nor there.”

 

“Looks like I made bank,” Darunia grinned.

 

“Alright, then,  _ you _ try it.”

 

“I’ll pass. A smart man never falls for his own tricks.”

 

“Yeah, well a smart man never implies that everyone around him is stupid, now, does he?”

 

Malon walked away as Saria followed. Darunia turned to Link, who had been watching in amusement.

 

“What?” Link smirked.

 

“Your girlfriend is  _ scary, _ dude. I don’t know how you manage.”

 

“She’s fine. She’s only scary when you’re the moron who pisses her off.”

 

A few hours later, Link rushed back down to the beach as Malon and his friends followed. There, they spotted something that nearly gave them a heart attack. A large castle stood where the pillars and walls had been four hours prior.

 

“You actually  _ did _ it?”

 

“Yeah,” Zelda shrugged. “Me and my friends had nothing better to do.

 

“We need pictures of this.”

 

“Already have several.”

 

“Ahem,” Rauru prepared an announcement, “we will be leaving the beach at this point, however, we have one last event planned tonight. I trust you will enjoy this.”

 

Hyrule Academy returned to Clock Town, but surprisingly they were not being taken in the direction of the hotel.

 

“Wow, no way!” a student pointed to the performing theater, where a large line was forming.

 

“Yes,” Rauru nodded, “that is where we are going.”

 

“Wonder what’s going on to cause such a large line…”

 

“Only the first concert of the Indigo-Go’s recent tour.”

 

Students turned to Rauru, awestruck. He had gotten them all tickets to one of the biggest events in musical history, which was unbelievable in and of itself.

 

Even more unbelievable- to Link, at least- was that Malon seemed really excited.

 

“I didn’t know you were such a big fan of the Indigo-Go’s.”

 

“Are you crazy? I listen to them every day!”

 

“Six years and I never found this out?”

 

“Well, we never had much money for merchandise and stuff, so I was mostly limited to listening to the music on my father’s phone. I suppose, then, in that sense, it wouldn’t exactly be obvious…”

 

The Indigo-Go’s were as good as everyone hoped they were. They performed a medley of their biggest hits, and as students piled out, Rauru made another announcement.

 

“Alright, students, we have a half-hour here before we wrap things up! If you have something you wish to do, then do so now!”

 

Looking around for something to do, Link saw the lead guitarist, Mikau, signing autographs.

 

“Oh Goddesses!” Malon also noticed. “Fairy Boy, we gotta get one!”

 

“Might as well see if we can get one… but what is he gonna sign?”

 

“Hmm…”

 

“There might be one of those photo booths in the arcade in the lobby.”

 

“Okay! Let’s go get a photo, then!”

 

Link & Malon took a series of photos together, and they soon got on line for the autographs. People seemed to be clearing out, and they were the last ones up for an autograph.

 

“Hi!” Malon started shaking rapidly.

 

“Take it she’s a fan?” Mikau asked casually.

 

“Yeah, a big one.”

 

“Got any photos or merch you want signed?”

 

Malon started nodding nervously and handed him one of the photos.

 

“You two look very cute together.”

 

“Thanks,” now it was Link’s turn to be nervous.

 

“Reminds me of when I first fell in love. I- ah, my apologies, you don’t need to hear me ramble.”

 

Malon was seconds from insisting he tell the story anyways, but Link quickly turned to her and shook his head, clearly okay without hearing it.

 

“Alright, here’s your autograph. Have a great day.”

 

“Y-You… too…”

 

Link helped Malon walk back to the group.

 

“That went well,” Link smiled.

 

“Yeah… it did…”

 

“Still a bit jumpy?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Link looked at the signed photo.

 

_ Glad you enjoyed the show! May you two find happiness together for as long as you live. -Mikau _

 

“It’s perfect,” Malon grinned. And she would continue to grin as the group left the theater.

 

 

 

_ ~Termina Field Trip, Day 5- Ikana Canyon~ _

 

“…and not to mention our most famous attraction, the Igos du Ikana Scare Tour.”

 

Students murmured with varying degrees of interest.

 

“Igos du Ikana was the last king of the ancient Ikana Canyon civilization. Rumors say that his ghost still haunts what’s left of Ikana Castle to this day.”

 

More murmurs followed this revelation.

 

“But those are just folktales. And these folktales just so happened to be interesting enough to base a horror attraction on. The castle has been renovated for this purpose.”

 

The tour guide had students get into lines to have them experience the horror attraction. Link was one of the ten students in the last group, alongside Malon, his friends, Mido, & a few other kids.

 

“Pssh,” Mido laughed as the doors closed and the group’s line of sight was reduced to almost nothing (even with Navi’s assistance). “This shit ain’t even remotely scary.”

 

“We just got in here. Give it time.”

 

“Yeah, well if this place were any good then they’d be throwing scares at us right out of the gat-”

 

As Mido was saying this, what appeared to be the lifeless body of a Gibdo from folklore got up and rushed them. Of course, it never quite got too close, but the scare was enough to leave most of the group startled and Mido screaming for his mommy.

 

“You never even had a mother in the first place.”

 

Mido was too scared to yell back.

 

The group continued to the main hallway, where lifelike marionettes of Stalchildren danced around and ran past the group. Mido continued shaking and at one point grabbed onto Saria (who politely implored him to get off) and later Link (who wasn’t so polite in shoving him off).

 

Darunia pointed out arrow signs to the stairwell leading to what seemed to be the main throne room, and the group followed.

 

“What do you think is over here?”

 

“Well, I assume that once we reach the throne room it’ll be Igos himself, but for now I’m not sure.”

 

As Zelda finished her thought, Link noticed twin Stalfos through Navi’s light. Pointing them out, he found himself barely able to move a leg.

 

“Get. Off.”

 

Mido reluctantly complied.

 

“Jeez, you were saying that this wasn’t gonna be scary, but here you’re the  _ only _ one who’s scared.”

 

“S-Shut up.”

 

The Stalfos emitted shrieks of rage and stalked the group from the shadows as they approached the throne room. There, two red eyes pierced through the darkness.

 

“Visitors…? In  _ my _ castle?”

 

Mido was seconds from falling to the ground and begging for mercy. However, Saria kept him from doing so.

 

“You trespass onto my land and expect a warm welcome. You shall get none. Let this be a warning to you. Flee this place at once- or else!”

 

What appeared to be Keese flew down and swarmed the area. As the sound of lightning and thunder roared through the castle, the room briefly lit up as the group saw Igos’s grotesque face for a split second before everything grew dark once more.

 

“Still here?” Igos scoffed. “If you will not leave, then you will perish! Begone!”

 

Mido did not have to be told twice. As a backdoor opened, he was the first to scram out of the castle. Link and co. casually followed. Outside, they spotted the rest of Hyrule Academy waiting for them.

 

“I take it you had a fun time?” Rauru asked when the group finally reached the rest of the students and staff.

 

“Yeah,” Link said. Most of the others nodded in agreement.

 

“Wasn’t that scary, though. Actually, it was kind of cheesy.”

 

“I… I beg to differ,” Mido shivered in fear.

 

Link looked at him unamused. “You were so scared it wasn’t even funny.”

 

Compared to the haunted castle, the rest of the tour of Ikana Canyon was pretty boring. The most the group did was explore an underground cave, but it was hard to be enthused when even the tour guide wasn’t enjoying themselves.

 

However, it was a relaxing way to cap things off for the trip.

 

 

 

_ ~Termina Field Trip, Final Hours- Clock Town Square~ _

“And to think, in about three hours we’ll be going back to Hyrule.”

“Yeah…”

“Hey, Mal… I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Like what?”

“Well, it’s just… you seem to be rather quiet and subdued compared to yesterday. Like you’re upset about something.”

“Well… I guess I am.”

“It’s not me, is it?”

“No, it’s not you.”

“Did someone harm you? I swear if they did I’ll-”

 

“No, I’m perfectly fine. It’s just…”

Malon looked up at Link.

“Can’t believe this is my first time ever telling you, but… today is the fifteenth anniversary of my mother’s passing.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Well, it’s not like you didn’t already know she was gone…”

Link looked down for a second before returning his gaze to Malon.

“I barely even remember her… all I have left is the song I sing to Epona and the stories my dad told me.”

“What… happened?”

“You mean, what happened to her?”

“I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have asked-”

“No, it’s okay, you can know.”

Link sighed solemnly.

“Well, it was just like an ordinary day on the ranch before then. Ingo was chasing after the horses, Mamamu looked after the dogs… and my mother tended to the cuccos. My father got back from milking the cows, and he was going to bring me outside for dinner at the tables.”

Malon looked to be seconds from choking up.

“You can stop if you’re getting uncomfortable,” Link reassured her.

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll go on.”

Malon took a deep breath.

“Well, recently there had been reports of a Wolfos pack attacking cuccos on farms, as well as anyone who got close enough. And as soon as my father got me outside, he saw one carrying off a cucco corpse. Wolfos are terrifying creatures, Fairy Boy. Trust me on that.”

Link didn’t need Malon’s word on it. The Wolfos pack within the Castle Town Zoo was terrifying enough.

“And then my mother saw the Wolfos, then Ingo saw it. And- I don’t know why- I wandered off and got way too close for comfort.”

Malon began to shake.

“My mother spotted me and got me to a safe distance- but that aggravated the beast to the point it just attacked. By the time Ingo managed to get at a safe enough distance to shoot the Wolfos without risking harm to my mother… by that point, he could have shot the Wolfos at point blank and it still would have made no difference on my mother’s chances of survival.”

Malon by this point was openly weeping. Link placed her in his lap and slowly rocked her.

“A-And then w-we brought her to the… the hospital, but i-it didn’t even matter. She w-was… s-she was… d-dead on arrival…”

Link continued to rock Malon back and forth.

“An’ Ingo’s blamed himself… ever s-since that h-horrible, shitty day… he t-thinks if he were f-faster, he c-could have saved my m-mother’s life.”

“He shouldn’t think that.”

“I know! But he does anyway! He blames himself an’ drinks his guilt away! That’s why he’s such a heavy d… drinker, Fairy Boy. He w-wants to forget, but he can’t!”

“It’s just not fair for any of you to have gone through this.”

“I can’t look at anything canine related without losing it. Even the dogs at the ranch give me a panic attack. And Ingo… he’s so upset over it, he has a near-anxiety attack the instant he hears anything related to my mother.”

 

“Guess that explains why he hates Epona’s Song so much…”

“And me…”

“How did you find this out?”

“I went downstairs for a drink one night, and overheard Ingo say as much to my dad. I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear what I did.”

By now, Malon had ceased crying and Link was wrapping her in a hug.

“Life loves to kick us down, don’t it?” Malon gave a weak smile.

“Yeah, I can attest to that.”

Link tightened his grip on Malon.

“I love you, Fairy Boy…”

…

The plane glided down onto the runway as the sun set. Rauru, the staff, and students all walked off and took the bus back to Hyrule Academy. As the students took another set of buses to return home, Malon and Link locked into a kiss.

The ranch workers were winding down for the day as Link and Malon greeted Talon at the front door. Walking through the homestead, Link spotted Ingo napping on the sofa.

Link gave a look of knowing sadness at the man’s plight. His behavior was frankly appalling at times, but Goddesses be damned if Link didn’t at least feel sympathy for what he was going through.

“Hey, sir? I’m gonna crash here tonight, if that’s okay with you.”

“Hm? Oh, sure.”

Link joined Malon in her bed that night. As Link lay awake, he thought more about the trials Malon and the others on the ranch had been put through.

Little did he know, however, that before the school year was done he’d be due for a few trials of his own- trials unlike anything he had gone through in the past seven years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And those trials will be... not next chapter, at least I don't plan on it, but within the next few. Hoo, boy, if you thought things were gonna be smooth sailing for the rest of the fic, then you are SORELY mistaken. Poor Link ain't seen nothing yet.


	36. Setting the Stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just over two months remain between Link & graduation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first of at least two "breather" chapters is here. Hopefully, these serve as nice buffers for when shit hits the fan. Because it'll hit hard.

“…For your homework for today, you shall write a full paragraph on the deeper meaning behind the red lights on page 134. Following this task, we shall hold an in-depth discussion about it tomorrow.”

 

“Ugh, I forgot how stupid this class got,” Navi commented in Link’s ear.

 

“Yeah,” Link whispered back. “Best school in the country and we’re being told to decipher a bunch of fucking lights.”

 

“Mr. Forrester,” Miss Funday tilted her head. “If you have issues with the curriculum, you are welcome to discuss potential changes with the headmaster.”

 

Link snapped back to attention. “Problems? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have _no_ problems with the curriculum.”

 

Miss Funday gave him a distrusting look before returning to her business.

 

The past two weeks since Termina had been a drag. Link could count with no hands the days that were even remotely eventful. Well, okay, Link would admit there _was_ at least one, in that he and Malon went on a date that past Monday, but nothing else.

 

Of course, he’d take bland and boring over ‘stuck in Miss Funday’s class for another minute’ any day of the week.

 

Only two and a half months of school remained at that point, and most of it would be dedicated to preparing for finals and getting any major assignments out of the way. Fortunately for Link, that meant less homework. Unfortunately for Link, that also meant his time would instead be going towards massive projects, some of which would require group cooperation.

 

Well, at least for history and possibly animal science if Dr. Mizumi was up to feeling sadistic for the rest of the school year. Link wasn’t exactly sure how calculus could be turned into a lengthy group project, but for all he knew Ms. Funday was trying to figure that out. She certainly did always seem to want to find ways to torment her students.

 

Walking out of literature class, Link noticed Ruto putting up posters for what seemed to be the new spring play Hyrule Academy was performing. Wanting to avoid an altercation, Link waited until the Zora left before going to see the poster.

 

“‘The story of star-crossed lovers who are forced to remain apart by their family’s feud,’” Navi read. “Isn’t this, like, the fifth reenactment of this story within the past two years?”

 

“Yeah,” Link nodded, “and if it’s anything like the last they’re taking us out of seventh and eighth period to watch it.”

 

“Shoot me now.”

 

Ruto was playing the female lead, to nobody’s surprise. Link couldn’t name the last HA play (hell, the last play of _any_ Castle Town school) he saw where she wasn’t one of the main characters. However, most of the cast consisted of nobodies from the drama club, none of whom Link recognized. Link recognized a few as Zelda’s friends (Zelda herself was going to be backstage working on the tech crew), but couldn’t recall their names.

 

“The play’s gonna be a bore, like it is any other year.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll probably fall asleep again.”

 

That next week, the play was performed. Link mostly half-slept the whole way through, only waking up by a loud noise.

 

“What? Where are we?”

 

“We’re at the part where the guy kills himself,” Saria explained.

 

“I woke up for that?”

 

“Guess you did.”

 

Indeed, the next noise was the sound of a body hitting the floor. Looking back at the stage, Link saw the male lead slumped over the floor, a lifelike but obviously fake dagger in hand. Ruto, dressed in purple, walked onstage seconds later and began to weep.

 

“Oh cruel Goddesses! You tear me and my love apart time and time again, and now you take him for good?!”

 

Link turned back to Saria.

 

“Nope. I’m going back to sleep.”

 

“Take care.”

 

As Link fell back asleep, Ruto’s speech entered its final part and she grabbed the dagger left onstage.

 

“If you will not let us be together in this cruel world, then we shall unite in death!” she plunged the dagger into her chest. As Ruto slumped over to the ground, the audience was silent, either out of shock, sadness, apathy, or the fact that some of the audience members who couldn’t care less about theatre had fallen asleep.

 

Some extra twenty minutes later, the play was finally over. Link gathered all his friends to go to the Castle Town Arcade that day.

 

“Y’know, I may have slightly forgiven her for all she’s done, but that doesn’t make her penchant for melodrama any less annoying,” Link took a sip of his soda.

 

“Yeah,” Darunia agreed as he and Zelda played a game of air hockey.

 

“Though I suppose I can appreciate the effort that she put into that performance,” Malon said. “For being members of the drama club, nobody else seemed to be trying.”

 

“Hey, if it means skipping P.E., I’m all for watching a play that only one performer seems to care about.”

 

“And history,” Zelda added. “Goddesses, Professor Shikashi seems to love giving us projects, doesn’t he?”

 

“You’re the valedictorian-hopeful and you don’t want more work?”

 

“I’ve already got an average of 98 in all of my classes. The less work to potentially ruin my grade, the better.”

 

“Fair. Hey, speaking of that project, we oughta finish that soon.”

 

“My place tonight?”

 

“Yeah, that works for me.”

 

“Hey, Malon? You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

 

“Hmm? Oh, sure.”

 

…

 

“And we just put the finishing touches… there it is! I’ll submit this to the teacher tonight.”

 

Hi-fiving in satisfaction with their work, Link & Zelda joined Malon in the living room.

 

“I am so glad I only took three years of history,” Malon nibbled on a cheese curl.

 

“Yeah, well, it looks good on my college application,” Zelda explained. Link had to agree there.

 

“We’re in the home stretch now. Just a couple of months, and then it’s all done. We move on with our lives and become fully-fledged adults.”

 

“It’s scary, honestly,” Zelda confessed. “I don’t even have a place to stay lined up for the future.”

 

“I’m sure my father wouldn’t mind if you stayed on the ranch with me and Fairy Boy.”

 

“Fairy Boy? Is that what you call Link?”

 

Link turned bright red at this. Zelda & Malon giggled at this.

 

“Sorry, Link,” Malon wrapped her arms around him.

 

The three sat in silence for a minute.

 

“Hey, so the week after school’s out my father’s allowing me to invite friends onto his yacht. Would you two want to come?”

 

“Sure, I don’t see why not.”

 

Link suddenly got up.

 

“Where ya going?”

 

“Bathroom.”

 

As Link walked away, Zelda turned to face Malon.

 

“I have to say, you’re a pretty lucky gal.”

 

“Hmm? What makes you say that?”

 

“I mean, regarding you and Link. He’s nice, cute, and… well, I can see him being a real hit with the ladies. In that sense, I would call you lucky to get to be the one who’s hooked up with him.”

 

Silence filled the room, though only for a moment.

 

Malon looked back at Zelda and smiled. “I’m mostly just relieved we can even see each other again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, even with these buffers, I'm thinking there might be too little breathing room between the last major event (the Termina trip & the fate of Malon's mother) and the next major one (what, you think I'm just gonna say what it is in parentheses?), but frankly, I don't want to pad out this story any more than I need to. It's one thing to have a naturally long story (and I'm actually quite surprised the planned ending product is expected to be as long as it is- if I followed my original drafts, this story would have ended already). It's another to overstay your welcome with needless filler, and if I haven't already crossed that bridge, then five or so chapters of nothing happening but school stuff will make that final push for me.


	37. Homestretch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nabooru gains the encouragement she needs to break up with Ganondorf as Malon ponders her future with Link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKA the calm before the storm. Because that's pretty much the only role this chapter serves in the overall scheme of things.

“Okay, you’re gonna have to explain what that paper says. I can’t read letters that small.”

 

Zelda pulled the paper away from Link’s face. “It’s just the paper confirming my status as valedictorian, since it’s the beginning of May.”

 

“Wait, really? And they confirm it at the start of May?”

 

“Yes, they do. Now I’ve got a month to prepare my speech and send it in.”

 

“Wow, congrats!”

 

“I’ve been working towards this my entire life… now it’s finally reality!”

 

“Hey, just as a question- what do you plan on doing next? After high school, I mean.”

 

Zelda paused, thrown off-guard by the question.

 

“Me? Well, I suppose my preferences lie in science and technology. So much so, in fact, that my father’s suggested that I take over as the head of Red Lions when he retires.”

 

“You? The head of a company?”

 

“I’m well aware of how stupid the idea is, but-”

 

“No, no, that’s a nice idea! You’d be great at it!”

 

“Thanks, Link.”

 

Much like Zelda, many students at Hyrule Academy had gotten letters for something or other. Darunia had gotten one commending his athletic prowess. Saria had gotten one praising her community work for the school’s many fundraisers. Link didn’t get one, but Rauru did call him into his office to congratulate him on perseverance in the face of adversity.

 

“Granted, we don’t exactly give letters for that, but I thought that you should know I am genuinely impressed with your growth. Your calculus grade is a much more respectable B-, and you have seemed to be in better spirits ever since Mr. Lon called and had you and his daughter put back in the same classes.”

 

“I suppose that is the case, Headmaster.”

 

“You have a bright future ahead of you. Do not let simple obstacles cloud that future.”

 

“I won’t, Headmaster.”

 

Rauru nodded, trusting that he wouldn’t. “You are free to leave, Mr. Forrester.”

 

Link waved goodbye as he left. Meanwhile, two figures in the hallway stopped talking and caught a glimpse of him.

 

“Hey, was that Link?” Nabooru realized who she saw first.

 

“Eh, don’t dwell on it,” Ruto insisted. “Who cares, anyways?”

 

“You’re one to talk about not caring about Link.”

 

“Haha, very funny. Remind me to laugh next time. Anyways, where were we?”

 

“We were talking about Ganondorf, I believe. I could be wrong, though.”

 

“Oh, that’s right, we were indeed. As I was saying, you can’t just let him keep you in check with fear, ‘Booru. You gotta get away from that asshole, just dump him and don’t look back at all, girl. He  _ cheated _ on you, for Goddesses’ sake! That’s as good a reason as any to get away!”

 

“There’s a reason he uses fear- because it  _ works. _ Because he’s terrifying and he knows it, Ruto. If I anger him, I don’t know what’ll happen to me. And if he doesn’t take his anger out on me, then that just means somebody else is gonna take the brunt of it.”

 

“Nabooru, trust me. I’ve gotten the good life when it comes to dates, but the longer you stay the harder it’ll become to escape. The more you’ll just accept it as the norm. He’s an asshole, not just to you but to everyone around him- just recall how you told me he treated Link!”

 

“That is true…”

 

“He’s a compulsive cheater and a liar, and those will only get worse as time goes on. As somebody who’s pretty guilty of the latter, I should know. Jerks know this stuff only gets worse the more you dig yourself into it. For your own health, just end things. If you don’t feel safe at your place, you can stay at mine. I’m sure my daddy won’t mind.”

 

“You’re absolutely right. Thanks, girl.”

 

“No problem.”

 

Ruto walked off to her next class. Nabooru, however, lingered behind.

 

_ No more of this, _ she decided.  _ The next time I see Ganondorf will be the last. _

 

…

 

“I’ve come to make an announcement…”

 

Link, Malon, Ingo, and everyone else at the Lon Lon Ranch dinner table turned to face Talon, who had just arrived from doing some paperwork in his office.

 

“Ye see this?” he pointed to a report that said… something. “The ranch ain’t had profits like this since when I was a boy! Really, I’m bein’ serious! You all should be proud of yerselves. We’ve hit a sweet spot on the revenue, an’ with that, I’m giving every employee here a raise.”

 

The group joined in a collective cheer. Ingo seemed to be in a better mood, even. Talon knew how to get his employees’ approval, that much was apparent.

 

Shortly after dinner, Link and Navi sat at the fence talking about miscellaneous things.

 

“That’s what, four raises by now? Five? At this rate, I might be able to afford a full four years at Castle Town University,” Link commented.

 

“Yeah, you definitely could. And here I was, thinking you’d need a loan or two to afford half of that time.”

 

“Well, you always were the pessimist between the two of us.”

 

“Let’s face it, we’re both pessimists.”

 

“I mean, you’re not wrong.”

 

“Fairy Boy!” Malon ran out towards Link.

 

“Huh? What’s going on?”

 

“Didn’t you hear? There’s supposed to be a rare lunar event tonight. They’re calling it a blood moon, and it’s supposed to make the moon appear crimson red!”

 

“I know what a blood moon is, Mal. Wasn’t the last one, like, some ten years ago?”

 

“Yeah, yeah it was! We gotta see it!”

 

“So… we just stay out here?”

 

“Yeah, pretty much.”

 

At roughly 9:00 PM, a bright red glow loomed on the horizon. Malon was right- the blood moon was indeed happening. As the moon rose in the sky, it appeared as if the world were undergoing an apocalyptic event, where monsters would rise and wreak havoc. Like the world would end right before Link’s very eyes.

 

_ I watch too many movies, _ Link brushed off that thought. The blood moon certainly looked nice, though.

 

“Isn’t it pretty, Fairy Boy?” Malon turned to him, evidently excited over the event.

 

Link thought about his answer for only a second. “Yeah, yeah it is.”

 

“Just like you…”

 

“Stop with the flattery, Mal,” Link playfully waved her off, yet couldn’t help but smile at it, which Malon pointed out.

 

“You’re clearly enjoying it.”

 

“Well, then, if you want to continue, then there’s definitely a better place than this old fence…”

 

…

 

“Whew… that was… wow.”

 

Link turned over to face Malon on the opposite side of the bed.

 

“If we haven’t woken up even one person on this ranch I’ll be surprised…”

 

“Yeah, me too.”

 

The couple lay in a moment of silence before Malon decided to change the subject.

 

“We graduate in just a month or so now…”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Still thinking’ of being a vet? Or do you not want to leave the ranch now that you’ve got me?”

 

“I can be a vet and still stay here with you. And I’m thinking that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

 

“Fairy Boy, are we gonna get married?”

 

“Well, if you want to. I’ve got that ring saved up, so that won’t be an issue… maybe we should wait a few years, though…”

 

“In that case, I suppose that this isn’t really a matter of if, but when.”

 

“Then I guess we’re in agreement.”

 

Malon took a moment to imagine a future with her and Link together, now that that dream was closer than ever to being reality. She was the head of the ranch, taking over the business from her father- well, maybe. She hadn’t exactly decided if she wanted to live with Link elsewhere or not by that point. But she was probably going to take a job in the end to support the family if Link’s job as a vet was unable to provide enough, even if it was just as simple as an office worker. She wanted at least one kid, but probably no more than three. Though, for all she knew that would be where she and Link disagreed- he hadn’t exactly given his thoughts on children yet other than the admittedly true fact that high school was still too early a point to even think about it. Maybe he wanted no kids. Maybe he wanted dozens. Okay, almost certainly not the latter. But the point still stood. Finishing her fantasy, Malon turned to Link & clutched him tightly.

 

“Whoa, up for round 2 or something?”

 

“Not exactly… maybe… I’m not sure. I just… Link, I love you, so so much. I’m so grateful that I get to spend my time with you.”

 

Link hugged Malon back. “I love you too, Malon…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: :)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Side note: The next two chapters are already drafted, I'm just reviewing them for editing.


	38. One Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything comes crashing down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just get to the point.

A dark ball of magic surged through Ganondorf’s room, toppling boxes and old trophies from Ganondorf’s elementary school days. Ever since his last encounter with Link and Zelda, he had decided to practice magic more. Ever since that time in Kakariko, he was absolutely determined to train in the event he and Link crossed paths in a confrontation. He wanted to get to a point where his magic wasn’t blocked by a fucking _trash lid_ of all things. Never had he been so humiliated than that day. He did not ever want to repeat that event.

 

The final game of the football season had wrapped up in an astounding 32-4 victory for Hyrule Academy. And of course, Ganondorf’s face was plastered on the school newspaper as the one who led the team to victory. As it should be.

 

Suddenly he heard a knock on the door. Odd. His parents were usually off at work at this time. Were they home that soon?

 

Nope. It was simply Nabooru. Even more odd, since she always was doing homework at this time. It was nearing the end of the year, but it wasn’t _so_ close to the end where homework stopped being handed out.

 

“There you are, honey,” Ganondorf leaned in to kiss her.

 

He should have realized something was wrong when she simply walked past him.

 

“Want some alcohol?”

 

“Nah, I’m good.”

 

“Your loss,” Ganondorf opened a beer for himself as he turned on a game between the Central Hyrule Sages and the Tabantha Sky Spirits.

 

“Frankly I’m not a big fan of the Sages,” Ganondorf took a sip of his beer, “but it’s worth it seeing the Sky Spirits get absolutely trounced. Last season they went 0-16! Can you believe that?! Not even the worst player on my team is as bad as the best player on the Sky Spirits!”

 

Simply put, Rito (who, due to their primary residence in Tabantha, were the majority race on the team) were not set for football. Their slender frames and fragile bodies made them absolute ragdolls when it came to playing on the gridiron.

 

“Yeah, it’s like watching a massacre live on TV,” Nabooru agreed.

 

“It’s some crazy shit.”

 

“Hey, Ganon, we need to talk.”

 

And there was sign number two that things were going to go poorly.

 

“About what?”

 

“Well, a while before the trip to Termina, I heard some… quite frankly… disturbing rumors about you. I heard from the cheerleaders, the phoneaholics, everybody. Do you know what they said? They said that you, Ganondorf Dragmire, yes you, had been off having sex with an alarming number of women. The _entire_ cheerleading team. Some of the drama club. And there was that time you were with Zelda while you were dating me. Being the fool that I am, I figured that there was no way the rumors were true. You wouldn’t be that type of person. But lo and behold, the Goddess of the Sand must have told me to, because I checked your phone and saw indisputable proof that the rumors were, in fact, true. I saw proof that you were, in fact, that type of person.”

 

“I would advise against finishing your thought.”

 

“Ganon, I’m no longer scared of you. It’s fucking over between us! Don’t try to fix it, there’s nothing to fix! We. Are. DONE.”

 

Nabooru ducked under a ball of magic.

 

“‘No longer scared of you.’ Pathetic, Nabooru. _You should be._ ”

 

Ganondorf got up and began to walk closer to her. Nabooru knew that engaging Ganondorf would get her hurt or worse, so she turned tail and ran as fast as she could. Ganondorf gave up when he saw he’d have to leave the house to find her. He’d get back at her later. And when he did…

 

But for now, he had more pressing issues than Nabooru. Now he had no date for the summer fair, which he was actually looking forward to going to with Nabooru. It was a shame, to be honest.

 

 _Oh, well,_ Ganondorf thought. _Time for a change of plans._

 

…

 

Students poured out of Hyrule Academy, all talking about preparing for finals in a few weeks or the summer fair that was happening within the same frame of time- mostly the latter. Zelda was one of the last students leaving that day, as she had stopped by the school library to check out some books.

 

The other student remaining behind… was Ganondorf. Worse yet, he seemed to be waiting for Zelda near the woods at the front entrance of Hyrule Academy, nicknamed the Lost Woods because anyone who wandered there would almost certainly be walking in circles. Even staff had difficulty finding their way through. Since the woods were at the front of the school, there was no clear way to avoid them.

 

“Oh, there you are…”

 

“Not now, Ganondorf.”

 

“Hey, calm down, I was just hoping to talk with you.”

 

“Then you’ll be left hoping for a long while.”

 

“Hey, chill, Zelda! I was just planning for you to go with me to the summer fair.”

 

“Everybody’s going to be going there. That’s not much of a-”

 

“I mean with me, as a _date._ Y’know, like the good old days?”

 

“By the good old days, do you mean the worst few months of my life?”

 

“Quit snarking and answer me.”

 

“I’d rather die.”

 

Ganondorf’s expression quickly grew dark. Clearly he was not taking no for an answer.

 

“Perhaps you misunderstood me. Or perhaps I was not clear. I was not _asking_ you. This is non-negotiable.”

 

“And just what do you plan to do if I don’t want to go?”

 

Ganondorf continued to walk towards Zelda, leering at her menacingly.

 

“Then maybe you need some… convincing…”

 

Suddenly, Ganondorf grabbed Zelda’s wrist and pinned her down.

 

“Let me go, asshole!”

 

“Shut up!”

 

Zelda tried with all her might to escape, but Ganondorf wasn’t the quarterback because he was a pushover. The instant Zelda broke free and tried to run, he charged a magic blast and knocked her over with it.

 

“Shame. I was going to go easy on you, too.”

 

“What the fuck are you planning to do?!”

 

Whatever it was, he didn’t get to do it. Within the next few seconds he was knocked to the ground. Zelda looked around and spotted Link, panting.

 

“That asshole never gets the hint, does he?”

 

“Link! Thank the Goddesses you’re here! Wait… what _are_ you doing here?”

 

“I stayed behind because I was going to study with my friends in the library, but Navi looked out the window and saw that asshole cornering you and alerted me. I didn’t want anyone else involved in this, so I came alone.”

 

“That sure was close. Thanks so much, Link.”

 

“Yeah, it was- look out!”

 

Ganondorf hopped up and charged at Link, but Link, heeding Zelda’s warning, instead leapt around him and jumped onto his back, hitting him as hard as he could. Ganondorf threw Link off and sent a magic blast at him. Narrowly missing, Ganondorf charged several more, but Link grabbed the nearest trash lid and attempted to block them.

 

Though it worked at first, a larger blast sent the lid flying into the woods. Link barely had time to dodge the next blast before one finally connected, leaving him stunned. Ganondorf sneered and began wailing on Link.

 

Link could barely block the hits using his arms. But he knew he had to get up. He had to win this fight. If he didn’t, then whatever Ganondorf was planning to do beforehand- or even worse- would happen.

 

Barely scrambling to his feet, Link charged at Ganondorf, who tried to charge a magic blast at him. However, Zelda pushed him over, cancelling the magic and left him a sitting duck for Link.

 

What followed was best described as a miniature wrestling match. But the amazing thing was that Link seemed to be winning. A one-on-one fight with Ganondorf, hand-to-hand, in close quarters, and he was _winning._ Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf were all a mix of shocked, amazed, and even impressed.

 

Astonishingly, Link was more than capable of both avoiding Ganondorf’s attacks, even his magic blasts, and counter-attacking just as fast. Finally Link had Ganondorf pinned, and he exploited that to high hell. A series of punches served to render Ganondorf stunned, and Link urged Zelda to run.

 

However, before she could, Ganondorf broke free of Link’s hold.

 

“Fine, I was going easy. But if you wish to lay down your life for her, then _so be it!_ ”

 

Dropping any qualms about causing too much harm to Link, Ganondorf pulled out a switchblade- where he got it from and why he had it on him were things nobody quite knew. Before either Link or Zelda could react, Ganondorf lunged at Link, slicing him across the right side of his face.

 

Link realized with horror that he could no longer see out of that corresponding eye. The bastard had effectively slashed it out. A large amount of blood pooled onto the ground, and soon Link felt light-headed.

 

He tried his hardest to fight on, but Link fell to the ground dazed. He was a sitting duck.

 

“So long, Forrester. Fitting that you die in the woods, of all places, with nobody to help.”

 

Ganondorf raised his blood-stained knife, perfectly ready to murder a fellow student in cold blood.

 

“No! Don’t you fucking try it, asshole!”

 

Navi flew out of nowhere, blinding Ganondorf. Dazed, he swung his switchblade around wildly. Navi was small and fast enough so that the blade missed her entirely. Link barely ducked out of the way.

 

But the knife had most certainly hit a target, as soon it was no longer in Ganondorf’s hand or on the ground.

 

With his one remaining eye, Link watched with horror as he saw the switchblade sticking out of Zelda’s abdomen. Ganondorf pulled the blade back out as soon as he realized what had happened, and fled the scene, knife in hand, as Zelda began falling to the ground. Navi was too distracted by the violent scene before her to stop him.

 

“N-Navi…”

 

“Link! Are you okay?!”

 

“Hurts like a motherfucker… Navi, listen to me, ya gotta go off and get help. I’ll stay here and watch Zelda.”

 

“Why me?!”

 

“You’re the fastest, and in the best condition.”

 

“Link, trust me. _You_ go find help.”

 

“I-”

 

“Link, please!”

 

Link hesitated for a brief moment.

 

“Every moment you wait the odds of her survival drop more!”

 

Link hobbled to his feet and ran off. Once he was within the building housing the headmaster’s office, Navi turned her attention to Zelda.

 

_Link… forgive me for what I’m about to do._

 

Navi knew that Link didn’t have to run off for help. He could have easily called 911 on his phone and remained behind with Zelda as well. But now, he wasn’t here. And that was a good thing. Because Navi knew that what she was about to do next… she knew there was no turning back. Once she started, there was no stopping it. She knew that Link would have to witness one of the most traumatic events he’d ever see in his life. She knew that no matter what happened to her next… no matter how poorly Link reacted or how painful it was for either of them, that it was the right thing to do.

 

Focusing all her power, Navi released as much fairy dust as she could. She focused on the knife wound, and poured all her energy into this one act.

 

_It won’t be a guarantee that she survives, even with all this fairy magic… but if I don’t do this, it’ll be a guarantee that she doesn’t!_

 

Navi continued until she faltered, floating to the ground like a leaf. The bright blue light she emitted began to fade.

 

She continued to lay on the ground, waiting for the first sign of Link’s return, until…

 

“Navi! Navi!”

 

Link ran back towards her and Zelda, out of breath.

 

“Rauru and Impa are on the way. I think they’re in the Lost Woods, but they’ll be here soon, I have no doubt.” Link then turned and called out to them, hopefully helping them find their way.

 

“T-T-That’s gr-”

 

“Navi? Why… why are you on the ground? Why are you losing color?”

 

“Link… I… I did what I had to do…”

 

Link’s eye widened in horror.

 

“You didn’t… no, Navi, are you mad?!”

 

“I’m not… crazy… I was just… just helping out Zelda… I stabilized her… using my magic…”

 

“Navi… no, no, no! You… how much did you use?!”

 

“Everything I could muster…”

 

“Navi, you… why?!”

 

“It… it’s fine, Link. You’ll be fine. She’ll be fine.”

 

“But _you_ won’t!!”

 

“Link, it’s fine. Fairies… they only live for around thirteen years, anyways. I wasn’t gonna last much longer as is… so I might as well go out helping someone else… Link, I don’t regret what I did here… and I hope that you won’t either… For my sake… for everyone’s… don’t…”

 

Link hung his head low and began to cry.

 

“N-Navi… You can’t leave… you’re my best friend…”

 

“And now you’ve got others… Saria… Darunia… Zelda… you’ve got an amazing girlfriend… you don’t need me anymore… you’ll be just fine…”

 

“I… that’s not true! It’s not!”

 

“Heh, it’s… it’s funny. For all my preaching… about not knowing shit about romance… Link, I’ve… I’ve kinda had a thing for you… for the entire time I’ve known you… ever since that day in Kokiri Circle… because I knew… I knew that you were gonna be something special… And you still will be… you’re gonna grow up to be something special, Link… so don’t let this end all of that… move on with your life… because I think that’s what Zelda wants. It’s what Malon wants. It’s what Saria and Darunia want. It’s what I want. And your mother… I’ve never met the woman, but I can assure you… it’s what she would have wanted…”

 

Link scooped Navi off of the ground and cupped her in his hands.

 

“Hey… how about one last perch in your hat? It was always pretty comfy…”

 

Link lowered his head and gently placed Navi in his hat, per her request. He barely managed to spit out his next words.

 

“They better give him life in prison for this. Because if they don’t keep him out of my reach…”

 

“Link… don’t waste your time on him… because you’ll be okay… Even if this is where we part ways… your story isn’t over yet… Mine may be… but you’ve still got a long way to go… you, and Malon, and Zelda, and all your friends… you’ve got so much potential… I mean, just look at you! I couldn’t have chosen a better person to tag along with…”

 

Navi closed her eyes, and soon the fading blue light disappeared entirely.

 

“Navi?”

 

Nothing.

 

“Navi? Are you…?”

 

She was not moving anymore.

 

Link knew it then and there. His best friend… someone he considered family, even… gone in an instant. Just a day ago he’d felt like he was on the top of the world. Now, he figured that he had to be in some kind of hell the Goddesses placed him in to punish him for having too good a life.

 

He desperately tried to wake himself up. Several of his nightmares involved Navi dying, surely this had to be one!

 

But when he opened his eye, everything was the same.

 

No, that was the wrong term. It was foolish to think anything could ever be the same.

 

As the reality of everything began to set in, Link collapsed to the ground, now sobbing and calling out Navi’s name. Ganondorf hadn’t killed him, but he may as well have died at Hyrule Academy that day.

 

“That… bastard… he should have finished the job… because I’ll… I’ll fucking _kill_ him for this!”

 

And as the reality of Navi’s death set in, the adrenaline from Link’s fight with Ganondorf wore off.

 

The sudden shock of everything was too much for Link to handle. The world around him began to fade to black. And as it did, he almost wished that he _was_ dying, that he was soon going to join Navi. But he knew that he wasn’t. He knew that he would survive so long as his eye wound didn’t get infected. And that was more harm to him than anything Ganon could do.

 

Before everything went completely dark, however, several figures rushed over to him. Two came from the woods- Impa and Rauru. The rest came from the library, all of them students. The students had evidently noticed that something went down and wanted to see what had transpired.

 

“What the hell happened?!” one of the students cried out. Link barely made out Ruto as the figure speaking.

 

“Holy shit, your eye!” another student called out. This one Link could recognize as Nabooru just by the voice alone.

 

Before Link could speak, however, a third figure called out.

 

“Fairy Boy!!”

 

“M… Mal?”

 

Beside Malon were two figures, that seemed to be Saria and Darunia. Neither spoke out of pure shock.

 

“What happened?!”

 

“G-Ganon… dorf…”

 

Link didn’t say, see, or hear anything else. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

 

It was just then that any students who had simply followed the crowd and not noticed Zelda lying nearby spotted her. And they nearly had a collective heart attack.

 

Malon slowly approached Link as the other students crowded Zelda. Cradling his unconscious form, she began to cry into his chest.

 

“Fairy Boy…” Malon continued to sob. “Oh, Fairy Boy…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo, boy.
> 
> Believe me when I say this chapter was NOT easy to write. I think at least part of the reason most of my early drafts never made it past the drawing board was this chapter (albeit back in the drafting phase there was more than a few differences)- I always hesitated around this point, mostly because I wasn't quite sure how to structure this major part of my story (and because I had grown so fond of Navi in this fic I was having second thoughts on killing her off, though I couldn't imagine the story going any other way). I'm pleased with what I've got now, but there's always room for improvement, I suppose.


	39. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf hides from the police as Link & Zelda are hospitalized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got just about everything in the story past this point scripted out by now. Only need to start fleshing it out.

“I can’t believe it. Hiding here, of all places. I must be really desperate.”

 

Ganondorf had fled the school straight to his home, where he buried the blade in the backyard. He wasn’t so stupid as to hide there, though, and left soon after to the abandoned Eldin warehouse, still in ruins from the failed drug bust prior to his birth. He knew the police were looking for him. He knew that at nightfall, he would have to flee the town and eventually Hyrule itself. So he waited… and waited…

 

He must have fallen asleep, despite his best efforts not to. The next thing he knew, he was being surrounded by a dozen cops, led by Chief Medigoron of the CTPD.

 

_Shit. Gotta run._

 

He scrambled to his feet and booked it, but the cops were in hot pursuit. One of them pulled out what appeared to be a gun.

 

_Shooting to kill, huh? Fucking coward… you won’t do it…_

 

The cop did indeed do it… sort of. What looked like a gun to Ganondorf was really a taser. Rather than shoot Ganondorf, he simply chose to stun him.

 

Thousands of volts surged through Ganondorf’s body as the taser collided and he fell to the ground. Barely, he got up- just in time to be confronted by the chief himself.

 

“Mr. Ganondorf Dragmire?” Medigoron addressed him, scowling.

 

“What? No, that’s not me.”

 

“First off, that’s some bullshit. Second off, I wasn’t asking, Mr. Dragmire. You’re under arrest on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder. If you’re lucky- no, if one of your victims is lucky- it’ll remain two counts of attempted murder. Otherwise, you’ll be charged for murder in addition to the first charge of attempted murder.”

 

Ganondorf could barely register what had been told to him as the cops handcuffed him and led him to the back of the police cruiser. Of course, he was no idiot- he could tell the chief was referring to Zelda- but somehow, the fact that the stab wound had likely injured her enough to place her in mortal danger had completely slipped his mind ever since he first hid out at the warehouse.

 

Ganondorf’s trial was set for a few days prior to graduation. The outcome would determine Ganondorf’s future- one bad move was now risking everything he had built up over the years. An acquittal would mean that he’d simply graduate and move on with his life as he planned, though he would be ostracized from those who suspected his guilt. A conviction would mean he’d lose it all, and most definitely some prison time- shortly after giving their statements to the police, Rauru & Impa overheard some officers discussing that if found guilty, Ganondorf was almost guaranteed at least ten years due to the violent nature of his crimes- and probably up to a life sentence if Zelda did not survive. Ganondorf smiled, as he figured that Zelda’s survival (which he assumed was next-to-none) would have been crucial to his being convicted in the first place, as her testimony would almost certainly be needed. An officer quickly deduced his reasons for being so happy and told him to knock it off- Link’s testimony (as his survival was guaranteed, due to none of his injuries being fatal) would be more than enough to land a conviction so long as it placed Ganondorf at the scene of the crime. Ganondorf’s mothers showed up to the police station and tried to get their son out by any means necessary- bribery, begging, attempting to pay a bail, but it was no use- Ganondorf was to remain put and face due punishment for what he had done. The police chief urged them to leave before things went south, which they did. Seconds after they left, Nabooru showed up.

 

Nabooru had arrived in order to give her perspective on Ganondorf’s violent attacks. She was as upfront as she could be, telling of his cruel nature, proneness to beating up Link even prior to the incident, and how Zelda was his ex, giving officers a potential motive for Ganondorf to want to harm either.

 

Ganondorf surprisingly kept calm during the whole ordeal. Nabooru left the station with no words for her ex, but did spit in Ganondorf’s face as she walked out.

 

 _That bastard… of all the people I had to date, it was HIM!_ Nabooru grimaced at the thought of the years she spent with Ganondorf.

 

Her next destination was the Hyrule Castle Town General Hospital, where both Link and Zelda were placed in the same room. Waiting with them were Mayor Nohansen, Talon, Malon, Saria, and Darunia. Ruto waited outside because she was not allowed inside the room due to maximum capacity, and both Rauru & Impa decided to wait outside as well. They had nowhere to go, and their sympathies lay with Link and Zelda.

 

A few doctors walked out of the room, and Nabooru felt the need to get answers.

 

“Are they gonna be okay?”

 

“Who exactly are you?”

 

“We’re acquaintances of some of the people in that room, including the patients. Please, I just want to know- are Link & Zelda going to be alright?”

 

“Ah. Well, Link’s gonna be fine, since none of his injuries were fatal. We did have to remove his right eye to avoid infection, though.”

 

Ruto & Nabooru gasped in collective shock.

 

“Don’t worry. We swapped it with a bionic replacement created by Red Lions. Their CEO, Mayor Nohansen himself, paid for the operation. You won’t be able to tell that it’s a cybernetic, and once Link wakes up, neither will he- his vision will be as good as it was before that nasty event, and maybe even better.”

 

“Wait, what about Zelda?”

 

“She’ll be fine, but barely. They’re both expected to make a full recovery within the next few weeks. And between us, as much as I don’t like breaking the rules, I can see you’re both worried sick, so I’ll let you in the room to see for yourselves.”

 

Bracing for the worst, Nabooru slowly turned the handle and opened the door to the room.

 

Both Link & Zelda were in hospital beds and gowns, unconscious and attached to IV drips. A stitched-up slice wound ran over Link’s right eye- or where the eye used to be, if the doctor’s words were any indication. Zelda visibly had no injuries, but underneath the gown was a series of stitches and patches on her abdomen where Ganondorf stabbed her. Their heart monitors seemed to be perfectly normal, but Nabooru was not going to be relieved until they opened their eyes.

 

In one corner, Saria was crying, barely able to look at Link and instead choosing to turn around and face the wall. Her best friend of eight years lay unconscious in front of her, heavily brutalized by a man they all hated. Next to Saria, Darunia stood in stunned silence, blaming himself for what had happened.

 

 _If I had just ignored Link’s orders and gone with him anyways…_ Darunia hung his head low. _If I had just been there in the first place, or gotten there faster… none of this would have ever happened. None of it… That bastard would have had his ass beaten six ways to Sunday!_

 

Mayor Nohansen sat quietly, maintaining a watchful eye on Zelda as if she was about to turn to dust in front of him. Considering the reason she was hospitalized in the first place, though, his cautious behavior was very justified. He knew that was the case.

 

He had been wrapping up some paperwork for a new bill he planned on signing when he received a call from the hospital that Zelda had been heavily injured in an altercation that left her bleeding out. He remembered dropping everything he was doing and rushing straight to the ER. He couldn’t believe that his daughter had once dated Ganondorf, that he allowed such a thing to happen. That Ganondorf would not leave her alone afterwards, and that this had happened as a result.

 

“Are you sure you want to do that?” the doctor had asked him when he offered to pay for Link’s eye replacement out of his own wallet.

 

“He… he helped my daughter in the first place… who knows what would have happened to her if he hadn’t shown up. I can’t just let that selflessness go unpaid. I must do something to repay his efforts.”

 

Reflecting on the past few hours had not been pleasant for Mayor Nohansen, though he was grateful to at least have a future with his daughter to look to. He was grateful that his daughter would have a future at all.

 

Talon could only sit and ponder the events that had transpired in stunned silence. Malon had frantically called him, in tears and saying something about Link. When she had calmed down, she finally managed to convey the information that Link had been injured by Ganondorf, and that it wasn’t a standard altercation- he had been cut by a knife across his eye.

 

Talon had showed up at the hospital shortly after his daughter did, gasping for breath.

 

“Mal? What the hell happened to him? What the hell did that asshole Ganondorf do to ‘im?”

 

“He… I…”

 

Malon broke down sobbing in her father’s arms. Talon need not hear the rest- he could see it. The doctors were talking about how his eye would need to be removed to avoid infection, how they could replace it.

 

Malon initially tried to protest this decision, sobbing incoherently the whole way through.

 

“Mal. Mal. Mal!”

 

“D-Dad?”

 

“They’re doctors fer a reason. They know what’s best fer the boy an’ I ain’t gonna protest it. With the new eye he’ll at least be able to see from that side again!”

 

Malon finally relented. She wasn’t in a position to protest something that could help her Fairy Boy, and she knew it.

 

Currently, Malon was leaning on Link’s bed, holding a conversation with him as well as someone could with an unconscious person.

 

“Goddesses, Fairy Boy… I don’t want anything more than for you to open your eyes again… I know you will… but that don’t make the wait any less painful.”

 

After another hour, it was Zelda who opened her eyes. Much rejoicing was had, with Mayor Nohansen embracing her tightly, and she turned to face Link.

 

“He… he saved me…”

 

“I know…” Zelda’s father nodded. “It pains me to see him in such a condition…”

 

As he finished saying this, murmurs were heard. Slowly, but surely, Link opened both of his eyes.

 

His first reaction was shock at being able to see out of both of his eyes again. Quickly, Malon wrapped her arms around him tightly.

 

“Please… don’t ever scare me like that again…”

 

“It’s okay… I won’t…”

 

Just then, Link remembered why he was there. He pulled away from Malon’s grip and tears welled up in his eyes.

 

“What’s wrong? Fairy Boy, everything’s fine… you’re okay… Zelda’s okay…”

 

The doctor walked in.

 

“Good to see you’re both awake…”

 

Zelda smiled weakly. “Thank you… I… I can’t believe I’m alive…”

 

“Don’t thank us. When you were set to undergo surgery, we found an overwhelming presence of fairy dust already in your system. If it weren’t for that, you’d have been dead on arrival for sure.”

 

Malon froze in shock. “Wait… what?!”

 

“Yes, is there a problem?”

 

“H… how much fairy dust did you find?”

 

“A lot of it… an amount that would be lethal for a fairy to exert by themselves.”

 

In that moment, Malon understood everything. She slowly turned to Link, afraid to continue onwards with her thoughts.

 

“Fairy Boy… no… she didn’t… did she?”

 

Link choked up before uttering his next words. “Yes, Mal. Yes, she did. She did and I watched her _die,_ Mal. I _watched_ it! I watched it and I was fucking _helpless_ to do _anything!_ ”

 

Link broke down crying as Malon ran over to comfort him. Saria stood in sadness before rushing to comfort Link as well.

 

“Fairy Boy… Link… I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…”

 

Zelda lay in her hospital bed, processing what she heard.

 

“Navi died… she died… because of me? She died for me?”

 

Link composed himself for a brief second.

 

“It’s n-not your fault, Z-Zelda… I-I don’t h-hold it against y-you. I really d-don’t.”

 

“You’re right… this is Ganondorf’s fault,” Saria exclaimed.

 

“And he’ll get what he deserves,” Ruto nodded, determined to see that play out.

 

As everyone left half an hour later, Link & Malon were the last ones in the room.

 

“Fairy Boy…”

 

“Mal… I…”

 

“I’m gonna miss her. I really am. I can’t begin to fathom what you’re goin’ through right now.”

 

“I don’t even know what to think…”

 

Link staggered a bit before breaking down into tears.

 

“She- she’s gone, Mal… s-she’s g-gone… if I-I had j-just stayed with h-her… if I-I had just won that d-damn fight…”

 

Link was now on the floor in a fetal position. Malon carefully lifted him up and sat down on one of the chairs, positioning Link in her lap so that his head lay just below hers.

 

“It’s okay… we’ll get through this together…”

 

Malon’s words of encouragement settled in Link’s mind. But he couldn’t help but feel that maybe… maybe she was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: A fallen friend is mourned and Link takes it particularly hard.


	40. A Song of Storms & Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Navi's funeral comes and goes as Link sinks further into despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you know how in movies it always rains at a funeral or when something equally sad happens?
> 
> Yeah, no. Cliche as this story gets, that's a bit TOO cliche.

The sun beat down on Castle Town, bringing with it a type of weather not seen for a while. Birds flocked over the city, the wind had calmed to a gentle breeze, and by all accounts, it should have been a beautiful day.

 

The weather, however, betrayed the mood everyone currently standing in Kokiri Circle was feeling that day. If life were more like the movies, there would be a downpour of rain that day. But instead, Link and his friends were smack in the middle of what many meteorologists were calling the most beautiful day in ages.

 

In the hour leading up to the funeral, Saria was in Link’s room, trying to convince him to get up and at least appear at the memorial service of his closest friend.

 

“Link… I don’t know if this will help- actually, it may make things worse-”

 

“Then don’t tell me.”

 

“-but fairies only live for thirteen years on average. Navi’s time was soon up as is.”

 

“And what would you know about that?!” Link yelled, evidently ignoring that Navi had actually told him this fact as she lay dying. “You haven’t lost your fairy!”

 

“Link… take a good look around you. Do you _see_ my fairy around?”

 

Link took a second look around the room. Saria’s fairy was nowhere in sight.

 

“Oh… I… I had no idea…”

 

“She passed a few days after the trip to Termina. I didn’t actually find out until a few days after that, though, and even then I had to really push the Deku Tree on telling me. When fairies die around here, they spare us the pain of watching it. They simply leave for the inside of the Deku Tree and die there. We generally don’t learn about it until long after. And it’s not just my fairy, either. There’s a reason you haven’t seen Mido’s fairy around since last year.”

 

Link spent a few minutes dwelling on this. “You don’t seem very upset about it.”

 

“Most of the Kokiri simply accept it as a fact of life and move on. It’s mostly just a natural process. You’re a _very_ unique exception. In all my eighteen years, I don’t think I’ve ever known someone whose fairy was lost in an event so morbid. In a way, that’s what this funeral is for. Navi’s life was cut short, no matter how little time she had left, and this is to honor her memory, since she affected so many people around her. I don’t think I know any Kokiri who were as close to their fairies as you were. And that’s to say nothing about what she did for Zelda. After all that, it’d be revolting not to do something to commemorate her.”

 

And now, here Link was, barely holding in tears as Saria finished setting up the memorial area. A picture of Link with Navi sat on an area in front of the Deku Tree, alongside a small box that Navi herself was placed inside. As the funeral went on, the box would be moved to the interior of the Deku Tree, where Navi would finally be laid to rest.

 

Also at the memorial site was a bouquet of flowers. Darunia had gone out and bought the florist’s entire stock, taking extra care not to crush them in his hands. Link offered to compensate him for the no doubt hundreds of rupees that the sheer enormity of the bouquet suggested he had spent, but Darunia insisted he was fine not being reimbursed.

 

Currently in attendance were Link and all his friends, in addition to Talon, Ruto, & Nabooru, the latter of whom felt that her breakup with Ganondorf had caused this. Saria spent a good half an hour convincing her that she was absolutely not at fault.

 

“I’m still surprised you let her join us,” Zelda whispered to Link while acknowledging Ruto’s presence.

 

“I… I’m not about to deny entry… to someone who’s just trying to pay… respects…”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine. I just… I suppose I’m not as ready for this as I thought…”

 

“And you shouldn’t have to be.”

 

As the funeral progressed, various people got up to make speeches and relate anecdotes about Navi. As Malon sat down from her turn, Zelda got up.

 

“I didn’t really know Navi as well as anyone else here. I mostly knew her as a friend of Link’s who tagged along with him. But after everything that’s happened… I owe her so much. I owe her my life, my future, everything. I owe it to her to make the most of my life from here on out. I owe it to those who remember her. I owe it to everyone affected by her loss that I won’t ruin the second chance she gave her life to allow me. Because what would the point of a second chance be if I didn’t use it?”

 

All of the attendees nodded in solemn agreement as Zelda returned to where she was situated beforehand. Link got up, being the last of the speeches, and prepared to speak.

 

But nothing came up. As he struggled to formulate words, various recollections started floating into his mind.

 

_…If you wish to lay down your life for her, then so be it!_

 

But he could get through this. He just needed one speech, and then it was done.

 

_You don’t need me anymore… you’ll be just fine…_

 

That… that wasn’t true… he needed her more than ever.

 

_I couldn’t have chosen a better person to tag along with…_

 

Link struggled to hold back tears as he began to visibly shake.

 

_…In life, sometimes we don’t know how much we need something until we lose it…_

 

Of all things for her to be right about…

 

“Link? Are you… are you sure this is the best idea? You don’t have to give a speech, just take it easy and-”

 

Link walked off and took a seat at a nearby picnic table, where he began to cry full-force.

 

_Stupid loser. Can’t even make it past a funeral without crying like a baby._

 

“Y’know,” Malon put her arms around him, “you have every right to be as upset as you are. Nobody’s judging you, and I guarantee they’d be feeling the same if Navi were as close to them as she was to you.”

 

“I can’t even finish that dumb speech…”

 

“You don’t need to. Your feelings and actions tell us more than your words ever could about how you’ve been affected. No speech in the world could summarize what you’d want to say.”

 

That part was very much true. There was so much to say, with so little time to say it that he couldn’t finish without it seeming like he was rambling. But he had to try. He had to.

 

Returning to the memorial site, Link took a deep breath and opened his mouth to talk…

 

“Navi… Navi was my closest friend. I’d wake up in the morning, and she was there, ready and willing to join me through whatever school or work or anything life had in store for that day. She’s been there for me whenever somebody else couldn’t, and she’s been there almost from the beginning. My life wouldn’t have been the same without her presence throughout all these years… and now that she’s gone for good, it won’t ever be the same…”

 

Barely holding back tears, Link returned to his spot, where Malon tried and failed to comfort him. As the funeral wound to a close and everyone began packing their things & leaving, Link walked into his cabin. Half-expecting Navi to ask him what was wrong at that very moment, he chided himself for thinking such a thing would ever happen again. Navi was gone, and the sooner he accepted that, the sooner he could try to recover.

 

Of course, accepting such a thing was much easier said than done.

  


_~June 3, 4049- One Month Later~_

 

“Link? Link? I brought you a glass of water… I’ll just leave it here for you.”

 

Still half-asleep, Link grumbled something and downed the glass in one gulp. Setting the cup on the table, he turned over in his bed.

 

“Y’know… I’m worried about you, Link.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“Well, for starters it’s not healthy to remain cooped up for so long. Link… I know you’re still upset about Navi, but you haven’t come outside in a _month!_ ”

 

“And I spent longer upset about my breakup with Nabooru… what’s your point?”

 

“Well, during the breakup you at least went outside and went to school… it may have been the bare minimum, but at least you still did what you had to… Now? You barely even go out to use the bathroom, much less anything at all! Teachers are starting to worry about you. The headmaster’s just about ready to give me any work you need to make up from the past week you’ve spent here instead of at school. And I need not say how often Malon and your other friends have shown up to try and do what I’m doing now.”

 

“Well, why bother? I’m not gonna get better just because you told me to…”

 

“Then do it for yourself. I’m not saying you should be all happy and hunky-dory, but at least go out and see your friends. They care about you. I care about you. I’m not asking you to be all better immediately, but at least let us help you.”

 

“There’s nothing… nothing you can do to help…”

 

A knock on the door drew Saria’s attention away from Link.

 

“This late in the day? Oh, well…”

 

Saria went to answer.

 

“Huh? Oh, well, of course you’re allowed to speak with him! But… I’m not so sure he’s up to speaking with you… Well, you can try… but he’s just been moping here… I don’t know why I’m telling you this, you should know this well enough, I mean… nevermind. Just come on in.”

 

Saria walked out of the room as Malon walked in.

 

“Link… C'mon, it’s been a month!”

 

“Mal… Mal, just… I’m not up to it…”

 

“Well, nobody’s asking you to be all fine and dandy, but…”

 

“Mal… you’ve been showing up here every day. For the few exceptions, you’ve always managed to shoot me a text… but I dunno if this is something I’ll ever get over.”

 

“Well, that’s what you think. And if you continue to think it you never will.”

 

Malon hopped into bed with him.

 

“Hey, maybe you just need something to take your mind off of it…” she suggested as she ran a hand down Link’s torso.

 

“I’m not up to it, Mal…”

 

Malon huffed. “Oh well, it was worth a shot.”

 

Placing a hand on Link’s back this time, she felt Link move away.

 

“I said I wasn’t up to it.”

 

Malon simply kept her hand on him, refusing to move it.

 

“I’m not trying that approach this time. I just need you to know that these things… they take time. I wouldn’t eat for weeks after my mother died. My father started drinking- he was barely able to shake that habit by the time you came into our lives. And you know how it affected Ingo in a similar way. You don’t need to be at peace with it right now. You don’t even need to be at peace with it in a few years. But Goddesses be damned if you don’t at least trust that someday you will, and that someday things will look up for you. You need to trust that in the meantime, it’s worth sticking it out until then. That no matter how low you feel, you can at least function in everyday life. You were lucky to survive Ganondorf, and even luckier that you weren’t in imminent mortal danger like Zelda was.”

 

Link winced at being reminded of what exactly killed Navi in the first place.

 

“Please… just leave me be… just for today…”

 

Ignoring the nagging voice in her head telling her not to, Malon honored his request. Leaving Kokiri Circle, she hoped that she wouldn’t regret it.

 

…

 

Link gazed out upon the town from the Eldin Lookout. It was a rather beautiful sight… but that was not what was on Link’s mind right now.

 

“Damn it… Why?! Why did you have to take her so soon?!” Link shook a fist and cursed at the Goddesses he had long since ceased to believe in. Then he slumped onto the ground, knowing he’d never get an answer.

 

 

The fact that Navi was to die soon anyways was hardly a consolation considering how she had gone instead. If she had just gone naturally, Link might have taken it better. But no, instead she had to die in such a way that left everyone without closure, without some resemblance of peace. Link lost his best friend. Malon had to watch as her boyfriend fell into despair as a result. Zelda would spend the rest of her life with guilt over the incident. And Navi herself had died knowing the possibility that it could end up being for nothing, that Zelda could die anyways. And of course, that wasn’t what happened, but Link didn’t feel much better about it.

 

“Well, well, well,” a voice called out from nearby. “Didn’t expect to see you out here.”

 

Link turned around to spot a very familiar face. “Ingo? If you’ve got something to tell me, then I’ll have to say not now… just leave me alone.”

 

“Jes’ wanna know what you’re doin’ here.”

 

“I could ask the same,” Link replied bitterly.

 

“Always come here once or twice a week to clear my mind.”

 

“Isn’t that what the hangovers are for?” Link seethed.

 

Normally, Ingo would have lashed back just as cruelly. Instead he decided to let Link go on. He knew that Link’s words were a result of bitter sadness, and knew that the best course of action was to let him vent. However, Link remained silent, and so Ingo decided to continue the conversation himself.

 

“I know you know everythin’ behind my behavior ‘n my drinking. That horrible day… I know you know what happened. I’m not so sure as to how, but I could guess.”

 

“What’s it to you?”

 

“Well, Tal told me what happened with the fairy ‘n all…”

 

“Her name is Navi. And that explains nothing.”

 

“Well, I was told what happened, and I just… well, I guess I’m kinda worried for ya. And I can relate- really, I can. I know what grief and guilt does to a man… I mean, look at me.”

 

“Well, I couldn’t turn out worse than you have.”

 

“I’ll pretend that wasn’t a thinly veiled insult and say that you absolutely could. And that’s frankly what I’m afraid of. I don’t _want_ you to turn out like me in the slightest. So I’ll be the one to tell you now that you’ve got so much more left to do in your life. And if you refuse to do them and instead choose to mope around wasting away your life in grief and drunken rages, then who will do them in your place?”

 

Link spent a minute lost in thought about his answer.

 

“C’mon… I’ll take you to the ranch. Goddesses know Mal & Tal have been worried sick about you.”

 

Once at the ranch, Link collapsed in Malon’s arms. She took him to her room and placed him in her bed.

 

_Poor Link… he’s really taking this hard…_

 

“Feel any better?”

 

“No.”

 

“Link… I’m worried about you.”

 

“I’m sure you are. But that doesn’t change much, does it?”

 

“No, it doesn’t. But honestly, Link… as your best friend, as your girlfriend, as the one who needs to be there for you in these trying times… I need you to make an effort. If you can’t make it with a smile, make it with a frown, but make the effort nonetheless. Make an effort for your friends. For me. For Navi…”

 

Link looked pained.

 

“Link, I love you. And that means being there for you when you need it. I am absolutely sure that things will resolve themselves in due time. But until that time arrives, you need to be capable of waiting and going about life like you always do. Because while you will always have others who will be there for you, at the end of the day, none of that matters if you can’t be there for yourself.”

 

Link turned to Malon, tears down his face.

 

“Goddesses… I miss her, Mal.”

 

“I miss Navi too… I miss her a lot.”

 

“Without her, we might not ever have gotten together… she’s the one who helped me realize my feelings for you…”

 

Sensing his sadness, Malon embraced Link in another hug, burying his head in her chest. Link noticeably relaxed very quickly as she did this.

 

“Together… always?” he spoke, his words muffled.

 

Malon smiled gently. “Always. I’ll be there with you until the end, Link.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ingo's role has changed drastically from original plans. Way back when, he was much more of a jerkass, being a dick just for the hell of it, and later on, rather than get better, he'd instead get worse, to the point that even Talon would have turned against him. But looking back, that left him as a rather one-dimensional character who only existed for conflict (guess I'm still kinda guilty of making Ganondorf that as well, though), and I much prefer the final version of Ingo, a more sympathetic jerkass who got shaped into what he is by a tragic event that he coped with poorly, is aware that he is harming others (& himself), and knows that he needs to change. This alone made him go from my least favorite character to write to one of my favorites to write.
> 
> And of course, I wouldn't exactly expect Link to be all better next chapter. He'll be slightly better, but he's still healing and it'll take a bit.


	41. Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the worst hopefully behind him, Link goes to enjoy the first day of the summer fair with his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link's been thoroughly beaten on these past few chapters, so I say this time let's have something more lighthearted in store.

“And for our closing statement, in case you’ve been living under a rock, today marks the start of Hyrule Castle Town’s weeklong summer fair. With delicious food, fun games, and many a good time to be had, including a dance in the town square performed at by none other than famed rock band The Indigo-Go’s, there isn’t a better time to get some good old sunlight and go into town! This has been Hyrule Academy News, thank you and good day to you all!”

 

Half-asleep, Ms. Funday turned off the TV, grumbling something under her breath. Link couldn’t wait until the day he never had to see her again. Given how he had managed to finish whatever work he had missed over that week he had been absent from school from moping over Navi (in addition to the few days he spent recuperating from his own wounds), it was just a straight shot to the finish. At least, he could hope so. Considering the last time he thought that ended with his eye being slashed out and Navi dying, he was a bit more on edge this time around.

 

Many students had commented on his scar when he first made it back to school following the incident, but few could tell his eye was now a cybernetic unless they got a closer look. The incident with Ganondorf had become common knowledge by this point, and while many students offered their sympathies, it wasn’t long before Link found some who hated him for, in their minds, unjustly trying to ruin Ganondorf’s life.

 

_ Unjust? He attacked Zelda, then me, & is being prosecuted for his crimes, and somehow  _ I’m  _ the one who’s the monster? I lost my closest friend to this ass, and  _ I’m  _ at fault?! _

 

Zelda was also ostracized from some of the more popular students who sided with Ganondorf as well, though her already pre-existing popularity mitigated this somewhat. She was absent from school for a few days longer than Link initially, due to the more serious nature of her injuries. Link thought it lucky she was alive at all, in more ways than one- had she died, Navi’s sacrifice would have been for nothing, and he didn’t know what he would have done if that were the case. All he knew was that it wouldn’t have gone as well as it was going now.

 

Though it had only been a few days since Malon and Ingo convinced him to at least try to function in life, he had seen considerable progress since then. Of particular note was the fact that he had recently started talking with his friends again, though his voice was more than a bit raspy from its lack of use in several weeks.

 

Malon had been extremely cautious about calling Link by the usual nickname after learning of what had happened. The last thing she needed was to reopen the wounds, something that Link appreciated.

 

As the first three classes ended, Link went to study hall and sat down with Saria.

 

“The trial’s next Monday,” Saria noted. Link visibly recoiled at hearing this.

 

“Y-Yeah,” Link frowned. “Thank the Goddesses finals start the day after.”

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Trials don’t always last one day, especially not criminal trials like this.”

 

“I mean, we’ve got decisive evidence against Ganondorf, so it can’t last too long. Police found the bloody switchblade buried in his backyard and the DNA reports don’t lie. And even discounting that, we’ve got my testimony, not to mention Zelda’s. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reviewed the incident just so that bastard can get the guilty sentence he fucking deserves.”

  
“Well, maybe Navi’s involvement will delay things. As far as we know, just about everyone’s unaware of what happened to her.”

 

Link recoiled again upon her mentioning Navi. “I explained it to the police when I went down there yesterday to provide a basic outline of the incident. Hopefully that got through to whoever’s prosecuting the case.”

 

“Link… if you ever need someone to talk to about… all this… I’ll be there.”

 

“Me? I’m fine.”

 

“You’re very clearly not. You’re still upset, and you have no reason not to be. But don’t hide it from me.”

 

Link sighed. “You know me too well, you know that?”

 

“Someone has to, and at the moment I’m not sure you’re up to that yourself.”

 

…

 

“C’mon, Link, the fair ain’t waitin’ all week!”

 

“Yes it is. That’s the definition of ‘weeklong.’”

 

“Oh, hush it and get a move on!”

 

Link could tell that Malon was more excited for the fair than she had ever been. Maybe it was the fact that she was finally allowed to participate in the central event. Or maybe it was relief at being able to attend it with Link after all that had happened. Whatever it was, it brought her to Link’s house practically trying to shove him out the door.

 

“Gimme a minute, Mal. Don’t rush me.”

 

“Okay, okay. Sorry, Link.”

 

Link hesitated a moment as he got up.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“We can go another day if you’re still not up to it. It’s fine, really.”

 

“No, no, I at least owe it to you to try.”

 

Meeting up with Darunia, Saria, and Zelda near Hyrule Academy, the group traveled to one of the many food stands set up on the outskirts of the fair, which stretched from the town square to Castle Town Park. Darunia gulped down his rock roast as Zelda polished off a corn dog.

  
“Hungry?” Malon passed a piece of fried dough to Link.

  
“Nah, not really. I haven’t had much of an appetite for the past month.”

 

“All the more reason to take what I’m offering.”

 

“It’s fine, really. The stand isn’t going anywhere, and I’ll have a week to come back and get some.”   
  


“Your loss.”

 

“Hey, remember when you lost nearly 50 rupees on one of those?” Saria cheerfully pointed out the ring toss game that was set up near the park’s lake. “Y’know, all the way back in the Great Bay?”

 

Malon gave a look of exasperated defeat. “I’d like to forget that, please.”

 

Darunia chuckled. “If it makes you feel any better, I once lost a solid 100 rupees betting Link that he couldn’t eat a whole rock roast without puking.”

 

Zelda looked at Link. “You never told me you won that bet.”

 

Malon also looked at Link. “He never told me  _ about _ that bet.”

 

Link simply continued to walk.

 

In the center of the park was a strength testing game. Feeling confident, Darunia paid the fee and whacked the end of the lever as hard as he could.

 

Link could barely contain his laughter as the puck barely reached a quarter of the way up the tower.

 

“What the-? C’mon, gimme another try,” Darunia tossed over another blue rupee.

 

This time it reached the halfway point, but fell anticlimactically.

 

“I think this is karma for that ring toss game,” Saria snarked.

 

“Alright then, you try!”

 

Saria coughed up the fee and eyed the mechanism carefully. Finally, she swung with precision, but nowhere near as hard as Darunia did. Expecting nothing to happen, Darunia watched in disbelief as the puck shot up to the top.

 

“W-W-W-What the fu-”

 

“These things aren’t tests of strength. You just gotta hit the thing carefully and accurately, but not as hard as whatever you just did.”

 

“It’s fine,” Zelda tried to stifle a laugh. “There’s dozens of other games to win here.”

 

“Yeah,” Darunia scowled, “I suppose.”

 

The group split as Link took Malon to try out one of the games and the others went on one of the rides.

 

“And to think, this is but the beginning…”

 

Indeed it was. A full week of entertainment lay in front of Link and his friends. But most exciting of all was what lay at the end. A large dance performed at by the biggest rock band on the continent… and for once Link had someone to do it with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Giving my boy a break with his loved ones. And by break, I mean... well, I suppose this time I genuinely mean a break, or at least a period of peace and happiness.


	42. Summer Festivities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darunia remembers a fear of heights when it's too late to help him and the group attend a bonfire where bad jokes are told and Link learns something he should have ages ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the good times for Link & co. keep coming, with maybe a few mentions of the bad times. And then for Darunia, there's the really bad times.

The sounds of vomiting echoed through the restrooms. Link sat outside, waiting for Darunia to get it out of his system.

 

“C’mon, dude, it was just a Ferris wheel!” Link shook his head as he checked the clock nearby.

 

“And I forgot how much I  _ hate _ heights! Gets me all queasy and stuff like that!”

 

“I said it once and I’ll say it again- how do you forget something like that?!”

  
  
  


_ ~June 12, 4049- Thirty minutes earlier~ _

 

“…Well, if there’s one thing we’ve noticed from walking around, it’s that they’ve upgraded. I don’t think they had half these rides here last year.”

 

The group nodded in agreement. While the summer fair was always considered a highlight of the year, it was always lacking in the rides department. Aside from a teacup ride and a few kiddie coasters, there was nothing other than the games, food stands, and the main stage where groups performed at the dance. This year, however, was much different. In addition to the aforementioned rides, there was what appeared to be a swinging pirate ship, one of those 4D tunnel rides, and of course, the Ferris wheel that was notably visible at every corner of the fair.

 

“Bigger budget, maybe?”

 

“Yeah, but what beats me is where they got it.”

 

“Maybe  _ that’s _ where the funding for Hyrule Academy went,” Malon snarked. Link managed a chuckle.

 

_ C’mon, Link, that joke was worth more than just a measly chuckle and you know it, _ Link told himself.  _ I know you’re still downtrodden about… her… but, y’know, you could manage to at least try to seem happier… _

 

Link looked back at Malon. Seeing her smile warmed his heart.

 

_ …Especially if it’s for her. _

 

“Hey, who wants to go on the Ferris wheel?” Saria called out. “The line doesn’t appear to be very big!”

 

“Eh, why not?” Darunia replied. Of course, there was a very good reason as to why not, but in a brief lapse of memory all caution was thrown to the wind.

 

As the group loaded into one of the compartments, Darunia suddenly grew a pale shade of green. However, he held it down and kept silent when others took notice. The wheel began to rotate and soon the truth became apparent.

 

“Darunia…? Do you… have a fear of heights?” Zelda cocked an eyebrow at this.

 

“Me? No… wait… yes…”

 

“Did you seriously have to think about that? I mean, seems like that’s something you shouldn’t be able to forget.”

 

Darunia began to shake nervously.

 

“We can get them to stop the ride,” Saria offered.

 

“How? We’re at the highest point of the wheel with absolutely no-”

 

Zelda’s comment was interrupted by Darunia dry heaving.

 

“Did you  _ have _ to tell me how high up we were?!”

 

“It’s fine, so long as you don’t look down and-”

 

Zelda was quickly cut off by a loud scream.

 

“He just looked down, didn’t he?”

 

“He just looked down.”

 

Zelda merely shook her head as Darunia began to panic. Slowly, but surely, their compartment came back down to the ground. Opening the door, Darunia rushed outside and rolled down the pathway to the nearest bathroom.

 

“Gorons travel by constantly rolling at high speeds and he gets queasy from just a high altitude?” Malon questioned.

 

“We should probably go check on him,” Link noted. “He might be in there for a bit.”

 

And of course, this was something that Link regretted, in addition to the obvious regret of letting Darunia on the Ferris wheel in the first place. The girls were eating at a bench close by, and he would be with them had he not been stuck with the current shift of chaperoning poor Darunia as the Goron puked his brains out. Sure, heights made him queasy, but the nature of it being a half hour of nonstop puking made him wonder if maybe there was a bit of overdramatization involved. Making matters worse was the fact that Link himself had to use the bathroom, and considering the nearest vacant restroom was halfway across the fair…

 

“You really need to go, huh?” Malon walked over to him.

 

“Gee, what gave that away?”

 

“Well, you could go do your business behind that tree. Don’t worry, I’ll keep a lookout for you.”

 

“Behind the tree? Do you think I’m that desperate?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You’re absolutely right.”

 

As Link finished relieving himself (washing his hands with a water bottle Malon filled up using a nearby water fountain) and Malon motioned to him that the coast was clear, Darunia stumbled out of the restroom.

 

“Bet you had fun,” Malon snarked.

 

“I don’t wanna talk about it. Actually, I think I might head home for the day.”

 

“Fair.”

 

“We get a whole five days of fun and I wasted one of them in the bathroom puking like mad.”

 

“You could have told us you didn’t want to go on the Ferris wheel.”

 

“Yeah, but when do I ever use my brain?”

 

Darunia waved goodbye to the group as he began his trek home. Malon waved back as she turned towards Link.

 

“What’s next on the agenda?”

 

“There’s supposed to be a bonfire tonight, with bad jokes and good food and everything. Then I suppose we head home.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. It’s fun, or at least I suppose it could be.”

 

Malon ran her hand across Link’s scar. “Y’know, I think this makes you look cool. Like one of those movie heroes.”

 

Seeing her boyfriend’s visible sadness at being reminded of his injury, Malon cupped his face in her hands and kissed him.

 

“I know… I wish things had gone differently, too.”

 

“I don’t think I’d ever been so scared in my life than I was while fighting Ganondorf.”

 

“Wait… you fought him?! Like, as in threw punches?!”

 

“He would have harmed Zelda if I didn’t stop him!”

 

“She’s capable of handling herself!”

 

“He had her  _ pinned to the ground, _ Malon!”

 

Malon backed off at this, evidently regretting her earlier attitude upon hearing this.

 

“Well… if it makes you feel better, I was kicking his ass until he brought out the switchblade.”

 

“Considering the aftermath, I’m actually not feeling much better.”

 

“Yeah, me neither.”

 

…

 

A farmer stood up and cleared his throat. “Well, my wife left me last week. She asked me, ‘What’s more important, me or the cuccos?’ I chose the cuccos.”

 

An awkward silence followed this ‘joke’, with some people discussing that although the bonfire was said to have bad jokes, they still usually fulfilled the parameters of being a joke.

 

“…So a year ago, I met this girl,” began a large man with a grey beard who wanted to distract everybody from whatever the previous comment was. “She was this beautiful Sheikah girl, and she was sitting alone in a restaurant. I took a fancy to her, and I eventually worked up the courage to ask her out. Just last week, actually, I decided to ask her to marry me. Her response left me stunned… I can’t believe she would say no to me  _ both _ times.”

 

A few chuckles were had at this joke. In contrast, Zelda appeared to be falling asleep.

 

“You should tell a joke, Link!” Saria exclaimed.

 

“Me? Nah, I couldn’t tell a joke to save my life.”

 

“C’mon, you gotta!”

 

“No way.”

 

Several people around them began to insist that he tell one. Link spent the next ten seconds pondering what on Earth he would say. Placing his head in his hands in frustration, he felt his scar and got an idea.

 

“So,” Link stood up. “Believe it or not, this eye right here, the one with the scar, is actually a fake. Lost the real one a month or so ago.”

 

Murmurs rose through the crowd.

 

“Anyways, last week I was on a date with my lovely girlfriend,” Link gestured to Malon, who smiled, “and I sneezed so hard that the fake fell out of its socket. I didn’t think that was possible until then. I mean, I never saw it coming.”

 

Silence.

 

“I swear that’s not the punchline,” Link tried to ease the crowd. “So I sneeze, and the eye pops out and my girlfriend reaches out and grabs it mid-air. So after I pop the eye back in, we head to her place for the night, and the next morning we begin a friendly chat over breakfast.”

 

Malon continued to play along, not sure where he was going with this.

 

“So I’m eating cereal and she asks me, ‘Y’know, what made you fall in love with me?’ And she lists off a number of possible reasons. But not once does she list the real reason why. So she gives up and asks me again. And I answer, ‘What can I say? You just happened to catch my eye.’”

 

Quite a few chuckles were had over that one. When Link sat down, Malon playfully jabbed his arm.

 

“You are so corny,” she grinned.

 

“You liked it, be honest.”

 

“Yeah, that was good. And you had no faith in yourself.”

 

“What about you, Zelda?”

 

“Well, they can’t all be winners.”

 

“If it makes you feel better,” Malon said, “Zelda fell asleep before you began your joke.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, she conked out in the ten seconds you took deciding whether or not to tell the joke.”

 

“Oh.”

 

As more jokes were told and the bonfire wrapped up, everyone began packing their things to leave.

 

“Well, that was worthwhile,” Saria commented. “I bet Darunia’s regretting not staying.”

 

“Yeah,” Zelda agreed, still groggy after being woken up very recently.

 

“Wow…” Link exclaimed. “I’m genuinely surprised at how much fun I had there. I think that’s the most fun I’ve had since…”

 

The mood grew darker as everybody gathered his meaning.

 

“Well, maybe this whole time all you needed to do was to take your mind off the bad times and have fun. I mean, you even told a joke that wasn't half bad!”

 

“…It was pretty awful,” Link shrugged.

 

“Well, maybe I just have low standards for jokes.”

 

“In that case, I guess I lucked out.”

 

“Oh, you…”

 

Link picked Malon up and kissed her.

 

“Hey, get a room, you two,” Saria snarked.

 

As Link and his friends playfully bickered into the night, Link found himself agreeing with Malon. All he needed was to not dwell on the past and he’d have a good time.

 

That sure seemed to be the case tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter of the summer fair is planned, and then we get back into main story stuff. Of course, that's then and this is now.
> 
> Next chapter: Dancing. Lots of dancing.


	43. May I Have This Dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link & Malon share a dance as the summer fair winds to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some simple Malink stuff here. Don't mind me.

The stage lights turned on and off as Mikau set up the band equipment. He played a few notes on his guitar, hyping himself up for the upcoming dance. Evan, the band’s pianist, was situated nearby talking to Japas, the band’s bassist. Mikau had half a mind to join them before Mikau’s best friend and roommate Tijo walked over and, evidently feeling nervous about his playing ability, performed a quick drum solo.

 

“You’d think after a whole leg of our world tour we’d be more used to this whole stage gig.”

 

“Yeah, really.”

 

“Where’s Lulu? Thought she was with you.”

 

“Probably still trying that ring toss game. She lost once and she’s been trying to ‘redeem’ herself, or so she says, ever since. It got so bad I just had to leave and start setting up here.”

 

“I’m here!” Lulu called out.

  
“There you are, honey,” Mikau smiled. “How’d things go?”

 

As Lulu began to launch into a long-winded rant about the rigged nature of carnival games, Tijo turned to Mikau, trying his best to tune Lulu out.

 

“This is gonna be one hell of a day.”

 

“Yep,” Mikau nodded. “That it is.”

 

…

 

“Yer mother wore that dress when she was young, er at least that’s what she told me. Why don’t ye try it on?”

 

If Malon were to be one-hundred percent honest at that point in time, she’d say that blue wasn’t really her color. She’d ask if there were any other options. But considering neither her nor her father had the money to buy a new dress, she figured she could make do with what she was given.

 

“You think Link will find me pretty?”

 

“He hasn’t given ye a reason to think he won’t, has he?”

 

“No. I just suppose I’m a bit nervous. I mean, this is my first time going to a dance.”

 

“Never gonna let me live that down, huh?”

 

“Not for the rest of your life.”

 

“Fair. And hey, sweetie, I bet Link’s not even worried about ye. He’s probably fussing over his own appearance.”

 

Meanwhile, at Kokiri Circle, Link tried on the tux he had since homecoming. Internally, he began to debate if he needed to dress as fancy as he was- obviously he needed to look  _ somewhat _ nice, but was he going overboard?

 

Link chuckled to himself. He rarely talked when not with friends, but he could hold entire arguments with himself in his head.

 

The dance was at sunset, with Link planning on going to enjoy the last of the fair beforehand. Unfortunately, Darunia had confirmed that he wouldn’t be showing up- he had no interest in the dance and didn’t plan on returning to the fair for anything else. It was a shame, since the rest of the fair had been rather fun, even counting the nausea-inducing experience Darunia had gone through on the first day. Nothing of that caliber happened since, and that was something to be grateful for, or at least Link thought so.

 

Link was halfway through his thoughts about the week when he heard a loud knock at the door. Or at least he thought he did. Thinking it to be his imagination acting up on him again, he elected to continue on with his business, brushing his hair and tidying his tie. Then came another knock. And another. Finally realizing that the knocking was very much real, Link opened the door to find Zelda on the other side. Dressed in a purple dress with her hair tied back in a ponytail, she waved to Link upon first seeing him.

 

“You look nice,” she commented.

 

“I thought the four of us were meeting at the fair.”

 

“Well, since you and Saria are already here and Malon’s close by, I thought it easier to come here.”

 

“That’s reasonable. I think Malon’s still getting dressed, though.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Hey, do you have a date?”

 

“Why are you asking?”

 

“I was mostly just curious.”

 

“No, not so far. I wouldn’t know who to go with anyways.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Y’know, Ganondorf… he tried to get me to go with him… before what happened. Actually, my refusal is what provoked him in the first place.”

 

“He’s an asshole, ain’t he?” Link shook his head in frustration and repressed anger. “They better give him life, or make sure I don’t get anywhere near him, otherwise… well, let’s just say I’m gonna make him regret thinking I was an easy target…”

 

“Well, he’s getting his just desserts anyways.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose he is… still doesn’t mean I don’t wanna punch him in his Moblin-like face.”

 

“Wouldn’t that be so cathartic?”

 

“Hell yes it would. It would be so goddamn satisf-"

 

“Well, what’re you doing?”

 

Malon walked past the gates as Link looked up and rushed to greet her.

 

“You look amazing!” Link hugged her tightly.

 

“Well,” Zelda shrugged, “I suppose once Saria’s done we’re off.”

 

“I’m here!” Saria rushed out of her door wearing a green dress.

 

“In other words, we’re leaving now?” Link asked Zelda.

 

“Yeah.”

 

…

 

The Indigo-Go’s began to play as Link and Malon walked through the crowd of dancing people. Countless couples, most of them college students or older (though Malon swore she spotted Anju and Kafei in a nearby corner), crowded the main square as the Indigo-Go’s rocked the night away. Photo booths lined the outer borders of the square, and after a quick pit stop there, Link and Malon began to walk to an isolated area, one where they could dance in peace.

 

“Oh, this is my favorite song of theirs!” Malon exclaimed as the Ballad of the Wind Fish began.

 

“Shall we?” Link reached out his hand.

 

“Wait, Link,” Malon blushed in embarrassment, “I don’t know how to dance.”

 

Link stood still as he processed this information, ignoring the perplexing fact that Malon had waited until  _ now _ to tell him. “Oh. Don’t worry about it, really,” he smiled, taking Malon’s hand and beginning to lead her in a waltz. “It’s fine, just let me lead you and eventually you’ll settle into the motions.”

 

Starting off rather slow at first to let his girlfriend understand the movements of the dance, Link gradually began to move faster as Malon seemed to almost be pushing for him to do so. She smiled at him, evidently pleased with the results.

 

“Well, now, you sure know a lot about dancing.”

 

“Zelda helped me learn back in September, during homecoming.”

 

Moving back and forth, side to side, Malon found herself slowly relaxing in Link’s grip. He only continued to tighten his grip on her, so as not to let her fall. Zelda was nearby with Saria, smiling at the pair.

 

Soon Malon realized that, even though she had no idea at first, she was learning how to dance. Almost involuntarily, her feet moved back as Link’s moved towards her so that they wouldn't trip over each other. 

 

“It’s easy, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah… yeah, it is…”

 

“I thought it was actually pretty hard at first, but once you learn it’s almost second nature from there.”

 

“Yeah,” Malon nodded. “I can safely agree with that one.”

 

“We should try dancing more often.”

 

“Don’t push it,” Malon grinned.

 

“Oh, come on, you’d enjoy it.”

 

“Well, I have been surprised about things I’d enjoy in the past, so maybe you’re right.”

 

Forty-five minutes later, the final chords of New Wave Bossa Nova played as the dancing wound to a close. Mikau took the microphone from Lulu and began to speak.

 

“Hello, everyone! I would like to thank you all for your hospitality in this wonderful town! This summer fair may be at its conclusion, but this is an experience I will cherish my entire life. The memories I have made here will not fade. So on behalf of the band, I would like to thank you for letting us perform at this venue!”

 

Link turned to Malon as the crowd erupted into applause.

 

“Y’know, I gotta say I agree with him on the whole memories thing. I mean, you’ve made this one of the best weeks of my life, and I don’t think I’m likely to forget it.”

 

“You’re so goddamn corny,” Malon simply smiled while shaking her head and locked Link into a long, passionate kiss.

 

However, no amount of dismissal would hide the fact that she agreed wholeheartedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Trial time.


	44. Judgment Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf's day of reckoning arrives as his fate rests on the trial's outcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: I apologize if several things in this chapter seem out of place and even flat-out wrong. I certainly tried hard, but as someone whose legal knowledge extends no further than Ace Attorney (and you don't need to tell me how many creative liberties are taken with that series), there's bound to be something I goofed up.

Guards walked past the holding cell as Ganondorf began to bang his head on the wall. Spending a solid month and a half locked up while awaiting trial was not bound to do wonders for one’s sanity and general mental health, as he had found out the hard way. Of course, then there were the occasional loons locked up in the drunk tank nearby who felt the need to tell him that if he was willing to throw away a free ride to college and a nice future all over a girl who dumped him and some guy he bullied on a regular basis, then he must not have had much sanity to begin with. Considering these were drunk drivers caught and dumped into a cell for the night, Ganondorf had half a mind to point out that they weren’t exactly in positions to talk. Then again, considering the fact that he was spilling the beans on why  _ he _ was locked up to a bunch of drunks who he’d never met before and would be elated to never see again, there was a point to be made in the drunks’ arguments. He clearly wasn’t in the right state of mind.

 

And discounting that last point anyways, Ganondorf had to wonder if maybe he had gone a bit overboard when he committed the crimes that landed him in prison. Well, clearly he had, since he was now set to face trial for it, but for the first time he found  _ himself _ seriously thinking about it. He conceded that there had to be something wrong with him if he even began to doubt himself. And never mind the fact that he had everything made for him, which he was now going to lose it all over a buildup of bad decisions into a series of impulsive acts.

 

That next day would be the first time he interacted with anyone who was not either his mothers, law enforcement, or lawbreakers since the day after his arrest, when Nabooru showed up to the station. A part of Ganondorf actually felt bad for driving her to break up with him, but the more twisted part of him decided that this was only the case for selfish reasons- ignoring the fact that he wouldn’t have asked Zelda out in the first place if Nabooru hadn’t dumped him, meaning he likely wouldn’t be in this predicament, he would have rather had Nabooru on his side going into this trial. Now there was no chance in hell that would be the case. 

 

But no matter. As he stopped banging his head, he decided that he had some sleep to catch up on.

 

_ Tomorrow’s the big day, _ Ganondorf reminded himself.  _ You may as well be ready for it. _

 

Stupid advice. Like he- or anyone, for that matter- would ever be ready to be tried as a criminal.

 

As he lay on the cot, Ganondorf pondered the fact that he wasn’t as anxious about this as he should be- for someone who was about to have their future set in stone the very next day, he didn’t seem to care. Perhaps it was the fact that the whole event seemed unreal, like a bad dream. Internally, Ganondorf hoped that he would go to sleep and wake up with Nabooru sleeping with him, the clock rewound to that past April. He’d be able to graduate and live a life of stardom as he so deserved, with nothing stopping him. But of course, that wasn’t the case, and while he enjoyed not stressing over the trial, he wished he could at least partially comprehend the full consequences of what was going to happen. Of course, if worse came to worse, he would find out firsthand.

 

The next time Ganondorf opened his eyes was that next day. As he stumbled onto his feet he saw several things- a drunk driver being released to the safety of his wife and kids, some officers eating breakfast, and finally, a guard that seemed to be approaching him.

 

“Mr. Ganondorf Dragmire?”

 

“Yeah, that’s my name.”

 

The guard nodded and began to unlock the door. “It’s time.”

 

Great. Just great. He couldn’t even adjust to waking up before the big day.

 

“Can’t I get some more sleep?”

 

“I’m afraid that’s not up for you to decide.”

 

Grumbling, Ganondorf shook his head and stumbled out of the cell. A group of officers were ready to escort him to the courthouse, where his trial was due to begin. As the handcuffs were placed around his wrists, Ganondorf hoped that everything would work out the way it was supposed to- the way he wanted it to. He would be declared not guilty, he had to. And when he walked free that day, he’d salvage what he could of his reputation. He briefly toyed with the idea of revenge, but that would only get him thrown back in jail.

 

Now if he were declared guilty, on the other hand… there would be hell.

 

…

 

Link sat in the court lobby, reading a magazine and talking with Malon. It had been a grueling few hours, especially since he had to get up early in the morning for this.

 

_ Just remember to say everything you can remember. Then it’ll all be over. _

 

Nearby, a series of bailiffs and officers brought Ganondorf, clad in handcuffs, into the courthouse. Link tried his best to distract himself from this, but Ganondorf, despite the officers trying to get him to the courtroom as fast as possible, seemed damned and determined to start up a confrontation.

 

“Morning, Forrester. See your eye’s in good shape.”

 

In no mood to talk, especially with him, Link chose to let any pretense of affable conversation fade away.

 

“That’s hardly the case, jackass. You slashed the original one out.”

 

“Oh, did I? Remind me what it was again I did?”

 

“You attacked me, then Zelda, and your actions  _ killed _ my friend. When all’s said and done you’ll be rotting in a cell like you deserve.”

 

Ganondorf was quickly pushed away before they could continue arguing further. But he was now visibly shaken. He reviewed the facts of the case in his head- at least, as he knew them- and grew more antsy by the minute. Zelda was not dead, that much was obvious. But someone was unambiguously dead, and their death seemed to be tied to the incident that got him arrested. So why was he unaware of this? What had happened?!

 

Link’s glare only gave him one conclusion, and that was that if Link wasn’t lying, he was screwed beyond all belief.

 

The courtroom slowly filled up, with the case’s prosecutor filing paperwork at his desk. Opposite him was Ganondorf’s lawyer, hired by Ganondorf’s parents the day of the arrest.

 

The jury was next to enter the room, soon followed by Ganondorf, who sat next to his lawyer. Ganondorf had never seen most of these people, though he supposed that was the point of an unbiased jury. As he sat thinking about this, the judge entered and took his seat. The courtroom grew silent as the judge reviewed what bailiffs had told him.

 

“Very well…” the judge spoke softly. Then he raised his voice. “This court is hereby in session for the trial of Ganondorf Dragmire!”

 

More silence ensued as the judge permitted the prosecution to begin their opening statement.

 

The prosecutor nodded as they began to speak. “The prosecution seeks to prove that on the afternoon of May 2, 4049, the defendant, Ganondorf Dragmire, assaulted and violently injured one Mr. Link Forrester and one Miss Zelda Nohansen. The…”

 

Ganondorf practically slept through the prosecutor’s opening statements. Yeah, sure, they were gonna try and find him guilty of a crime. Usual courtroom stuff. What he was really interested in, however, was Link’s testimony. He wanted to know exactly what Link meant when he said he killed his best friend.

 

Thinking back on everything that had happened or possibly had led up to now in an effort to draw a conclusion, Ganondorf recalled their last major altercation- when he broke Link’s arm, which was healed by… that fairy….

 

A quick flash of realization hit him as he finished that last thought.

 

_ Fairies… they die if they overexert themselves… did I… did I injure Link or Zelda so badly that the fairy needed to use a lethal amount of energy to heal them? _

 

That possibility was looking to be more and more likely, that was for sure.

 

…

 

The heat in the courtroom was unbearable. People in the gallery began to pull out paper fans as even the judge asked for a window to be opened. When the last of the opening proceedings had been thoroughly concluded, the judge asked for the first witnesses to be called. Among them were several of the people who had initially spotted Link and Zelda at Hyrule Academy.

 

Their testimonies were a blur to Ganondorf. He vaguely recalled several key points, but none that seemed to directly implicate him as the culprit. Though he seemed to be in the clear so far, he knew the worst was yet to come…

 

“The prosecution calls Link Forrester to take the stand!”

 

After sending a bailiff to retrieve Link, the teen hobbled over to the witness stand. So many eyes were looking down at him. It was unlike any experience he’d ever gone through. Every move of his was being watched and methodically studied by members of the jury and the dozens, if not hundreds, of people in the gallery above. It was absolutely terrifying. It was absolutely stressful. It was-

 

The prosecutor cleared his throat. “Will the witness state their name and occupation for the record?”

 

Link snapped out of it as he blinked a few times. The prosecutor looked at him and beckoned him to speak. “R-Right, I’m sorry,” he stammered. “My n-name is Link Forrester, a-and as of recent I’ve been employed as a ranch hand.”

 

The prosecutor waited for this to be written onto the record before continuing. “Now, it is to my understanding that you are one of the victims in this case, correct?”

  
Link managed a quick nod and a meek “Yes, sir.” The prosecutor nodded back.

 

“Now, if you would be so kind as to tell the court your side of the story.”

 

Link took a deep breath. “Well, it began when I was in the library. I was studying for finals with my friends and then my friend Navi spotted the defendant outside the window. He had Miss Nohansen cornered- I don’t know exactly what he planned on doing, but he had her pinned to the ground- it couldn’t have been good.”

 

“Is there a previous connection between the defendant and Miss Nohansen?”

 

“Yes, but I’m not sure I’m at liberty to-”

 

“Mr. Forrester.”

 

Link looked down. “They’re exes, sir.”

 

“As a result of this incident or a prior one?”

 

“A prior one. In layman’s terms, he cheated on her.”

 

“I see. What did you do next?”

 

“I went outside to see if I could get a read on the situation, and sure enough, it wasn’t good. So I did what I could to help fight off the defendant, until… he pulled a knife on me. I barely had a second to react when he slashed me across my right eye, and…”

 

Link traced the scar across his eye and the prosecutor nodded.

 

“Now, you mentioned a friend named Navi who spotted the defendant. Where do they play into this situation?”

 

Link looked to be seconds from crying. “That’s… that’s coming up later. So I fell to the ground and he tried to stab me, but Navi blinded him.”

 

“How did Navi…?”

 

“She’s a fairy. She gives off a naturally bright light.”

 

“Ah. So what happened next?”

 

“Ganondorf swung wildly, and he ended up stabbing Zelda in the abdomen.”

 

“I see. Then what happened next?”

 

“Navi… she healed Zelda… but at the cost of her own life.”

 

Silence.

 

On the witness stand, Link struggled to hold back tears. At the defense bench, Ganondorf looked to be seconds from having a full-blown meltdown. Navi had indeed perished, and his actions had led to that. He wasn’t exactly sure, but likely he would be charged with that as well. As this was happening, the lawyers got up and began to discuss the recent course of events with the judge.

 

“This is an interesting scenario. In addition to the charges of assault, there seems to be a need of an additional count of involuntary manslaughter directly tied to this case.”

 

Just as Ganondorf feared.

 

Link’s testimony eventually segwayed into Zelda’s, which not only corroborated Link’s but also locked the defense out of a way to disprove anything. As the defense cross-examined the witnesses, Ganondorf realized that he was actually going to be found guilty. And all he could do was wait with bated breath as it happened.

 

And eventually, it did.

 

The jury took just one hour to come to a consensus. Ganondorf’s lawyer profusely apologized to him. Ganondorf, on the other hand, had nothing to say.

 

“Has the jury come to a conclusion?”

 

“We have, Your Honor. We the jury find the defendant guilty of assault and involuntary manslaughter.”

 

The judge nodded. As the crowd died down, he banged down his gavel.

 

“Case dismissed!”

…

Ganondorf was led away as Link watched. He would be sentenced the next day- close to ten years at the minimum.

“So that’s that, then?” Malon walked over to Link.

“Yeah… that’s that.  I wish that this could have gone any other way… if none of this had happened…”

“Then she’d still be here.”

“Yeah.”

  
  
“We’re just about past it now… the worst of it’s over and done with.”

“I couldn’t have made it without you…”

Darunia approached the couple. “Well, glad to see he’s getting what he deserves. I mean, we all knew it’d happen, but…”

 

The group nodded, waiting for someone to pick up the conversation.

 

“Say, I’m hungry,” Zelda interjected.

 

“Yeah, me too. Who’s down for some rock roast?”

 

Cue the glares.

 

“Kidding, kidding! How about Four Giants?”

 

Link grinned. “That I can get behind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's Ganondorf's major role in the story just about wrapped up. We've only one chapter until the epilogue arc begins, and then everything's over. Boy, what a ride this has been.
> 
> Though I suppose I should save the reflections for when this is actually over. We're close but we still have some chapters left!


	45. Graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life lessons are learned as the seniors of Hyrule Academy graduate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the curtain falls on Link's childhood years as the next chapter of his life begins.

On the morning of June 22, 4049 there was only one thing on the mind of Hyrule Academy’s senior class, and that was graduation. Befitting the high standards of the academy, every senior who attended that year was graduating- all except for Ganondorf, who was busy serving out the beginning of a 12 year sentence. Link thought the time he needed to serve was fairly low, but he wasn’t about to complain- 12 years was better than no years. Especially considering the murderous look Ganondorf gave Link as he was led off in handcuffs. Link was thinking about getting a restraining order on him for when he left prison, however, he ultimately talked himself out of it- even if that wasn’t the best decision for him to make, he had a decade to change his mind.

 

Getting up that day had been an extremely unusual affair, since Link was so used to getting to sleep in the day of graduation. Hell, the entire day in general had been unusual. This was the last time Link was seeing most of the student body, a good chunk of whom he’d known since childhood. Of course, he couldn’t wait to leave the assholes behind, and the ones he really liked he was already friends with (and would continue to be), but regardless it was an overall confusing time. On the bus he discussed with Malon how this would be their last time ever doing such a thing, and she agreed with him in that regard.

 

Banners were hung up all around the hallways congratulating the senior class on their upcoming graduation, and as Link saw more and more of said banners he had to admit that the whole feeling of leaving Hyrule Academy felt surreal to him. Within 24 hours he’d be off on his own, left with nothing but a diploma, a place to stay (for the Deku Tree kindly allowed him to stay in Kokiri Circle for as long as he needed to), and the feeling that he wasn’t ready for the adult world. It felt like just yesterday he was the timid, near-mute boy being dropped off at the Ordona Orphanage. Now he was graduating from Hyrule’s best high school, and he didn’t know how to feel. Malon felt much the same, and Link had the lingering feeling that so did most of his friend group. Saria certainly acted like it, bouncing around on the bus restlessly as if she didn’t know what was going to happen. Zelda was busy fussing over her valedictorian speech, and had confessed her fears to Link about the speech not being good enough several times over the course of the day- Link had to tell her that it would be fine, that she’d do amazing.

 

As students discussed their future plans, most of which involved post-graduation parties and getting drunk at said parties, Link looked outside the nearest window. It was hard to think that he’d never have to come back when all was said and done. Well, that was ignoring reunions and whatnot, but for the most part Hyrule Academy would now be no more than an afterthought, a building in the distance that Link would pass by on the way to work.

 

The underclassmen had left school the day prior due to the obvious- they weren’t the ones graduating the next day. The hallways, while full of banners and decorations, had never felt emptier. Link had to say there was almost a melancholy feel to it. Students had been let out of graduation rehearsal two hours prior, and now they were waiting for Rauru to announce the beginning of the real deal.

 

“Attention all seniors, this is your headmaster speaking. At this time, you are to head outside and wait. Graduation will commence shortly after.”

 

 _Showtime,_ Link told himself as he began walking to the beginning of the rest of his life.

 

…

 

The four-hundred to five-hundred seniors composing the list of graduates had flocked to their destination, and the seniors found their proper seats behind the main stage in record time. Within the hour, the seats reserved for family & friends of graduates were completely filled. Link thought it sad that the closest person he had to a parent couldn’t show up (though it wasn’t like he could blame the Deku Tree for his lack of movement capabilities), but this sadness was alleviated when he saw Talon shoot him a thumbs-up as he mouthed, “Congratulations!”

 

After another fifteen or so minutes, Rauru began to speak. The crowd died down as Rauru listed any last-minute superlatives awarded to the graduating class. Link could make out nothing or nobody of note, other than the fact that Saria, who was sitting to Link’s left, had won the Brightest Smile category (which was something that Link certainly wasn’t about to argue) and the fact that Rauru had noticeably paused when he mentioned that Ganondorf had won the Outstanding Athlete award. Everyone quickly grew uncomfortable at hearing Ganondorf’s name, and Rauru wound up apologizing profusely for his hesitation.

 

_They must not have bothered to pick the runner-up instead. Way to make it awkward._

 

Everyone and their mother knew what happened to Ganondorf. While they didn’t know Link was involved (they did know Zelda was, however), they _did_ know that Ganondorf had attacked somebody, that someone else had died as a result, and that Ganondorf got over a decade of jail time as a result. It was all that was talked about for the two days between the trial day and graduation day. It was in the school (and town) newspapers. You couldn’t say the name Ganondorf without someone bringing up his arrest and conviction. And as less and less people wanted to talk about the trial, less and less people talked about Ganondorf altogether.

 

Which Link was grateful for, as he always thought that Ganondorf needed a break from the spotlight.

 

“And now,” Rauru wrapped up, “a speech from our valedictorian, Miss Zelda Nohansen.”

 

The crowd broke out into applause. Link swore he heard at least one person mutter about the whole thing being rigged, that of course the mayor’s daughter would wind up being the valedictorian.

 

 _Just because she tried harder than your little prince or princess or whatever they go by doesn’t make it rigged,_ Link exasperatedly rolled his eyes as he restrained himself from yelling this out loud.

 

Zelda cleared her throat.

 

“There are so many things that we as people go through that seem so momentous and life-changing, yet once they happen, you can’t help but feel like the moment has passed too quickly. And to be honest, that’s just about my only major gripe with my time at school. Four years passed in the blink of an eye, and I went from the girl who knew nothing about her new environment to giving a speech to hundreds of people. And considering recent events, I’d say that I can’t complain- I’m lucky to be up here at all.”

 

The brief nod to her own near-death experience initially shocked Link, but he elected to let the matter drop.

 

“This school… it’s a complicated place. While I’m sure not everyone will remember this and think of happy times, I’d like to think that most of us will. That most of us made enough good memories here to be able to call upon them and only them when they think of Hyrule Academy. Over the past four years, we’ve made new friends. We’ve lost old ones, but the new ones wind up filling that void no matter how lost you feel at first. And of course, we’ve lost what remained of our childhood lives and gone through the full transition into adulthood. Overall, there’s a theme of how even permanence is only temporary. How things don’t last forever. Whether that be friendships or our childhood naivete, nothing lasts forever. Our time on this planet isn’t permanent, either. Life is everywhere on this planet, yet in an instant it could end without warning. It could end in a place or manner that almost certainly wasn’t expected. Yet the message remains the same- as long as we remember the good times and learn to let go of or manage through the bad, we’ll be okay in the long run. Because we owe it to those who aren’t here to celebrate the good times with us to enjoy those good times. They don’t come every day, and each one is a memory to cherish.”

 

The crowd remained silent as Zelda entered the final throes of her speech.

 

“…And now is our moment to celebrate. As we leave this academy behind us to start the next chapter of our lives, I trust that we will hold what good times we had near and dear to our hearts. I trust that the same will be done for all that we’ve learned and done along the way. And for all that this amazing class will do in the future.”

 

Zelda backed away from the microphone. The crowd burst into applause, as did the students behind her. Blushing, Zelda took her seat. Rauru took her place, and as the applause died down, he began to speak.

 

“Thank you, Miss Nohansen. Now, people, I would like to allow some of our staff the chance to speak.”

 

Most of the speeches were similar in nature to each other- all about how proud they were of the students and how they’d do great things. But for Link, while they were heartwarming in nature, he didn’t exactly feel like he had been touched the way Zelda’s speech had, even if he couldn’t exactly pinpoint why.

 

As the last of the speeches ended and Rauru took the microphone back, he began to call up the students in alphabetical order. It was finally happening. The last moments of Link’s transition to adulthood were happening.

 

When Link’s name was called up Rauru shook his hand in earnest and handed him his diploma, along with giving him a smile that Link instantly knew meant, “I am so proud of you.” He gave everyone else the same smile, but Link wasn’t exactly about to ruin the moment. He had so much to be proud of.

 

As the last of the students received their diplomas and sat back down, Rauru approached the mic.

 

“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Congratulations, Class of 4049. You’ve officially graduated Hyrule Academy!”

 

Caps were thrown up into the air as cheers roared across the campus. This was their moment. One to cherish.

 

One to look back on for eternity.

 

…

 

Talon let out a loud cheer as the employees of Lon Lon Ranch offered Link & Malon their heartfelt congratulations.

 

“Now, we don’t wanna be late! It’s gonna be packed at Four Giants today!”

 

Among the group dining at Four Giants was Link, the Lon family, the Nohansens, Saria, Ingo, and Darunia & his father. They wound up taking the largest possible seating- a table for as many as nine people- and they wound up needing all nine seats.

 

“Glad to see you’re hale and hearty, my boy,” Mr. Nohansen smiled at Link. “Haven’t seen you since the hospital last month.”

 

“Yeah… glad to see you again, sir. Especially in a much happier setting.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

Four Giants was absolutely packed that evening. Link had never seen the place so full. Plates of food were being carted all around the area, and when Link’s group finally got theirs it was hardly a second after the waiter left when they began to ravenously devour their meals.

 

Talon and Mayor Nohansen mostly talked about the former’s ranch and the latter’s duties as mayor. For all their differences, Link had to note that they got along exceptionally well. Next to them was Darunia’s father, who eventually got the topic changed to their children and how proud of them they were. Talon made sure to turn to Link & Saria and comment that the same applied to them.

 

“You’ve impressed me, I’ll say that much. If the future’s in the hands of folks like you I gotta say it’s a future I’m lookin’ forward to.”

 

Link beamed at the compliment, as did Saria.

 

“Thanks, sir. I try my best.”

 

Talon chuckled.

 

“Now enough talkin’, we came here to eat and eat we shall.”

 

As the meal continued, Link began to reflect upon Zelda’s speech. It had been lingering in his mind for the better half of the day, and for good reason. He kept replaying one part in particular- namely, the part where Zelda urged the crowd to remember the good times and let go of the bad ones. As this happened, he began to recall the seven years he had spent with Navi. So long as he could remember the good times he and Navi had…

 

_…I can manage through the bad. I owe it to her to do that much._

 

Link reclined in his seat, smiling. He had long since finished eating, and now he was watching everyone else.

 

He must have zoned out for a brief moment, because soon Malon was checking up on him.

 

“Link? Are you okay?”

 

“Hm? Yeah, I’m okay. Actually, I suppose this is the best I’ve felt in a long time. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Like something I needed to worry about is no longer there.”

 

Malon smiled and pecked Link on the cheek. “Well, that’s good,” she said as she resumed eating.

 

When everyone was finished and the check was paid, the group poured out of the front door and began to head for their cars. As Zelda walked close to her father, Link called out to her.

 

“Yeah, Link?” Zelda turned around.

 

“I, uh, thanks.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For… for everything. You’ve helped me a lot, even if you don’t realize it.”

 

Within seconds Zelda deduced the connotations behind what Link was saying.

 

“Oh… it’s nothing.”

 

Link smiled. “Well, it sure meant something to me. I hope you know that.”

 

“I won’t forget it.”

 

Link walked back to Malon and Talon as they hopped in the car.

 

“Well, looks like this is the first day of the rest of our lives, huh?” Malon nudged Link.

 

“Yeah. And I can’t fucking wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Expect a change of setting. And maybe a few other changes too.


	46. The Big Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link asks a question he's known the answer to for four years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone reading this when the chapter first releases: my sincere apologies for the lateness. Indeed, this chapter was supposed to be up yesterday, but I came down with a nasty fever on Friday and am only now beginning to feel better. This delay should be expected to push back the other chapters one day as well, but thankfully, only one day.

_~June 7, 4053- Four years after graduation~_

 

Link placed two rupees down onto the counter and walked back outside, coffee cups in hand. Sitting down, he began to look at the time on his phone, only to be interrupted by the person he was waiting for.

 

“Sorry I’m late!”

 

Malon rushed towards him as the couple locked in a kiss. Breaking from her boyfriend’s embrace, Malon sat down at the table while Link passed her one of the cups of coffee. Grateful for the drink, she began to gulp it down.

 

“Y’know,” Malon set the cup down, “When you said you wanted to go on a date to celebrate the end of your fourth year of college, I’ll be frank, I didn’t think you were talking about coffee.”

 

“What did you think I meant? A fancy restaurant, a movie, or someth-”

 

“Yeah,” Malon huffed, “I actually kinda did.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Link said. “I just wanted a place to meet and chat for a bit. The actual date’s later.”

 

“Just what do you have in mind?”

 

“Oh, just a dinner reservation for two at the new Gerudo restaurant downtown.”

 

“Fairy Boy, no you didn’t!” Malon exclaimed.

 

“Whoa, breaking out the old nicknames, are we? You haven’t called me that in four years.”

 

Malon realized what she had said and covered her mouth.

 

“I’m so sorry, Link. Force of habit.”

 

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s been four years since she died… and I think that enough time has passed to the point where I think I’m okay with being called that name again.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. Might as well have something to remember Navi by, even if it’s just one of your many pet names for me.”

 

“Well, if you insist, Fairy Boy.”

 

Link chuckled and took a sip of his coffee.

 

“Four years left to go, and then I’ll have to start calling you Doctor Fairy Boy.”

 

“Okay, now you’re pushing it.”

 

The two sipped their coffee in silence until Malon brought up another topic.

 

“Epona had her foal this morning.”

 

“Really? I thought there was another week.”

 

“I did too, but it happened today. Dad’s spend all day taking care of her.”

 

“Does she have a name?”

 

“Epona.”

 

“No, I know that, I meant the foal.”

 

“That _is_ her name. We named her Epona.”

 

“Well, that’s… kind of unoriginal.”

 

“I mean, she looked so much like her mother that I don’t think there was any other choice on what to name her. It just felt right.”

 

“Alright,” Link shrugged, “but just know if we ever have a kid who looks like me I’m using that exact same logic.”

 

“Fair enough. But only if he looks so much like you we don’t have a choice.”

 

“ …So, should we go now?”

 

“To the restaurant?”

 

“Yeah, to the restaurant.”

 

“Absolutely.”

 

…

 

Link and Malon exited the restaurant as the former took the latter into his arms. He leaned in to kiss her, but she felt the need to push away.

 

“C’mon, Fairy Boy, not in public. What if someone sees us?”

 

Link thought of his answer for only a moment. “Then let them.”

 

Malon smiled and finally leaned in to kiss Link back.

 

It was at that moment that Malon felt something small and hard in Link’s pocket. It was like a rock, or maybe a small box. But Link seemed awfully touchy about the subject, as when she asked him about it he pretended not to hear her. Malon, however, was awfully insistent that he tell her.

 

“C’mon, ya might as well tell me what it is, Fairy Boy. I do the laundry, so when I’m cleaning those pants I’ll find out sooner or later.”

 

“Alright, alright. You don’t need to wait until then, you’ll find out soon enough.”

 

“Really? You better promise that, Fairy Boy.”

 

“I promise that today you’ll find out what’s in my pocket.”

 

“And it better not be something anticlimactic.”

 

“I promise it won’t be.”

 

The two walked until they reached downtown Lanayru, where Malon pointed to Hyrule Academy in the distance. Four years had passed, yet the building they spent an equal amount of time in would be recognizable for the rest of their lives.

 

“Four years since we left the academy already, huh?”

 

“Yeah, it has been four years. It doesn’t feel right, not having to go back there.”

 

“Then I suppose we’re in agreement.”

 

The couple continued to walk until they reached Castle Town Square, where the two took a series of pictures in front of the fountain at Link’s insistence. As Malon got ready to leave, however, Link urged her to stay.

 

“There’s something else I want to do here,” Link explained.

 

“Oh, alright…”

 

The two took a seat at the bench in front of the fountain, where Link dug around in his pocket for the object Malon had noticed earlier.

 

“I’d have hoped you didn’t notice this sooner, but you don’t seem to know what it is anyways, so I suppose that’s a good enough outcome.”

 

Link pulled out a small box. On any other day, Malon would have recognized the box’s purpose immediately, but she was so excited for Link to get to the point she glossed over what it could possibly mean.

 

“Malon… we’ve known each other for roughly eleven years now, and dated for four of those years. During that time you’ve been there when others couldn’t… you’ve been willing to stick with me through thick and thin…”

 

Malon waited with bated breath as Link continued. He couldn’t be getting at what she thought he was… was he?

 

“All the time I find myself thinking about our possible future together, and that tells me more than anything I’m willing to genuinely consider a future with you. I mean, of course I am. You’re amazing, kind, and I wouldn’t want to date anyone else.”

  
Malon’s breathing grew erratic.

 

“And it’s for that reason I have to ask…”

 

Link got down on one knee and popped open the box, revealing the Zora Sapphire-encrusted ring that he’d gotten four years ago.

 

“ …Malon Lon, will you marry me?”

 

Malon found herself hardly able to move afterwards. Her hunch was right. Link had indeed planned on proposing to her.

 

She knew her answer immediately, and she knew that Link had already known- making her wonder why he hadn’t asked sooner.

 

Whatever the reason, though, it couldn’t have changed anything about that moment- not for the world.

 

Taking Link’s hand in her own, she nodded intensely. “Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I absolutely will, Fairy Boy!”

 

As soon as Link secured the ring around her finger, she wrapped him in a hug and smothered him in kisses.

 

“We gotta go tell my father! Oh, and our friends too!”

 

“Hey now, we can do that tomorrow. Today’s our day. Let’s just enjoy it for ourselves.”

 

“Hmm, okay, you’re right.”

 

As the two got up to leave, Link led his new fiancee off to the ranch. With Talon off in Lurelin negotiating cattle sales, they truly did have the rest of the day to enjoy themselves. And enjoy it they did.

 

…

 

Link lay awake in the middle of the night as Malon slept beside him. It wasn’t often that he was kept up, not since his nightmares stopped, but that night was clearly the exception. And he wasn’t quite sure why. Perhaps it was that the anxiety of having proposed hadn’t quite worn down yet. Whatever it was, it-

 

“Fairy Boy?” Malon began to stir, eventually meeting Link’s eye.

 

“Oh, you’re awake.”

 

“Well, of course I am. You’re rustlin’ a whole lot.”

 

“My bad.”

 

“Nah, it’s fine.”

 

“…”

 

“I had a dream about our future.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, where we had a kid and lived in this really nice house in the suburbs. Thing is, tho-”

 

“Oh, speaking of housing, I’ve taken a look at some of the places in Eldin.”

 

“Oh, have you?”

 

“Yeah. There’s this really nice place on Death Mountain Boulevard that has a lovely view of Castle Town.”

 

“Well, Fairy Boy, thing is… I think I’d rather stay here. On the ranch.”

 

Link paused momentarily. For years, Malon had talked about getting away from the ranch and moving to someplace nice, where she and Link could live happily. For ages it seemed like the only thing she’d talk about when the topic of their future together came up. So why was she now second-guessing that?

 

“Well,” Malon explained to him, “there’s a lot of space here for a kid to roam around. And I think I’ve grown to like this place a lot more than I did four years ago.”

 

Link stopped to think about this. It certainly hadn’t been expected, though on the other hand, he did see Malon’s point of view.

 

“Well… if you really want to stay here, then we can do that.”

 

“I’d like that.”

  
  
Link smiled and found himself relaxing as Malon placed her arms on his chest. Sinking back into the pillow, he thought more about their future together. It was practically in his grasp.

 

But thinking about it would only make him more anxious to see that future happen. And anxiety never did him any good, so he just chose to relax further and let sleep overcome him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: More jumps into the future.


	47. When We're Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link & Malon seal the deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favorite chapters to write. Not necessarily because of what's in it, but because everything just came naturally, because once I got a rhythm going it never broke. It's been a while since I wrote a chapter like that.

_~May 9, 4054- Five years after graduation~_

 

Bells began to ring as Malon made her way up to the altar. She’d had nearly a year since Link’s proposal to get ready for this very moment, yet now that the moment had arrived, she found herself completely unprepared for it. Saria and Darunia (the maid of honor and best man respectively) stood on the sides of the altar. Link himself also waited there. The overall attendance wasn’t very large- it consisted of Talon, Ingo, a small number of Kokiri (who Link still considered family), Zelda, and a few of the ranch employees- however, to Link and especially to Malon, it was the perfect size. Nothing too extravagant or bombastic, but simply the experience both of them wanted. Their last night before the wedding had been much the same- low-key, nothing too exhausting & extravagant like a bachelor or bachelorette party, but simply a night spent with friends. Link had spent his at the ranch chilling with Darunia and playing tabletop games, while Malon spent hers reminiscing about the past with Saria & Zelda in Kokiri Circle. And that was all they needed.

 

When Malon finally reached the altar, she took her spot opposite Link. There, the two silently greeted each other as the officiant waited to begin. Malon took one last look at the man she was about to marry. Link looked positively handsome. The scar across his eye had healed fantastically, and what remained of it was so faint that unless one were to inspect Link’s face up close they wouldn’t be able to tell it had ever been there.

 

As Malon finished her admiration of Link, the officiant cleared his throat and began to speak.

 

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to celebrate the very special love between the bride and groom, by joining them in marriage. We are all present to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love. Miss Lon, Mr. Forrester, your marriage today is the public and legal joining of your souls that have already been united as one in your hearts. Marriage will allow you a new environment to share your lives together, standing together to face life and the world, hand-in-hand. Marriage is going to expand you as individuals, define you as a couple, and deepen your love for one another…”

 

Link gazed at Malon’s beaming face and couldn’t help himself from grinning even more than he already was.

 

“…To be successful, you will need strength, courage, and patience. So, let your marriage be a time of waking each morning and falling in love with each other all over again. Marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. No ceremony can create your marriage, only you can do that through love and patience; through dedication and perseverance; through talking and listening, helping and supporting and believing in each other; through tenderness and laughter; through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, and by learning to make the important things matter, and to let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together as lifemates and partners…”

 

Clearing his throat once again, the officiant turned to Link.

 

“Do you, Mr. Link Forrester, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

 

Link nodded without hesitation. “I do.”

 

The officiant now turned to Malon.

 

“Do you, Miss Malon Lon, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

 

Malon nodded even faster than her fiance did. “I do.”

 

“Two people in love do not live in isolation. Their love is a source of strength with which they may nourish not only each other but also the world around them. And in turn, we, their community of friends and family, have a responsibility to this couple. By our steadfast care, respect, and love, we can support their marriage and the new family they are creating today. Will everyone please rise?”

 

Everyone in attendance stood up.

 

“Will you who are present here today, surround Mr. Link Forrester and Miss Malon Lon in love, forever offering them the joys of your friendship and supporting them in their lifelong union?”

 

“We will,” the attendees said in near-unison as the officiant permitted them to sit back down. Once more, the officiant turned to address Link & Malon.

 

“We've come to the point of your ceremony where you're going to say your vows to one another. But before you do that, I ask you to remember that love- which is rooted in faith, trust, and acceptance- will be the foundation of an abiding and deepening relationship. No other ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those you now assume. If you are able to keep the vows you take here today, not because of any religious or civic law, but out of a desire to love and be loved by another person fully, without limitation, then your life will have joy and the home you establish will be a place in which you both will find the direction of your growth, your freedom, and your responsibility.”

 

“Please now read the vows you have written for each other.”

 

Malon elected to read hers first. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak.

 

“I love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I vow to love you, encourage you, trust you, and respect you. As a family, we will together create a home filled with learning, laughter, and compassion. I promise to work with you to foster and cherish a relationship of equality, knowing that together we will build a life far better than either of us could imagine alone. Today, I choose you to be my husband. I accept you as you are, and I offer myself in return. I feel truly blessed by the Goddesses to have been able to get this experience with you. I will care for you, stand by you, and share with you all of life’s adversities and all of its joys from this day forward, and all the days of my life.”

 

Smiling even more, Link began to read his own vows.

 

“There is little to say that you haven’t already heard, and little to give that is not already freely given,” he began. “However, may you forever know that I do pledge you, my love, for as long as I live. Today, I promise you this: I will laugh with you in times of joy, and comfort you in times of sorrow. I will share in your dreams and support you as you strive to achieve your goals. I will listen to you will compassion & understanding, and speak to you with encouragement. I will accept you as Together, let us build a home filled with learning, laughter, and light, shared freely with all who may live there. I marry you with no hesitation or doubt, and my commitment to you is absolute. Let us be partners, friends, and lovers, today and all of the days that may follow.”

 

“May I have the rings, please?”

 

Link and Malon handed the officiant the wedding rings.

 

“Thank you. Now, please repeat after me: I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you.”

 

The officiant handed each of them a ring, and Link held his up. “I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you.”

 

As Link placed the ring around Malon’s finger, Malon held hers up as well. “I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you.”

 

When Malon placed the ring around Link’s finger, the officiant addressed the audience once more.

 

“If there is anyone in attendance who believes that these two should not be wed for any reason, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

 

Silence.

 

“Very well. By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss each other!”

 

Link and Malon complied with extreme eagerness. When they were finished, the officiant spoke one last time.

 

“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Forrester!”

 

Applause broke out as the newlywed couple led the procession out of the chapel. Arm in arm, Link and Malon eagerly awaited the reception, and after that, the rest of their lives.

 

…

 

Guests ravenously devoured the food that had been laid out in front of them. Link and Malon also joined them- they hadn’t had anything to eat all day. On occasion several guests of note stopped to give a speech. Last up was Darunia- and as the best man, his speech was arguably the most awaited.

 

Seeing that he would have to give one sooner or later, Darunia raised his glass as he began to speak.

 

“Good afternoon everyone- for those of you that don’t know me, my name’s Darunia and after all these years it’s nice that good ol’ Linky here has finally admitted that I’m the best man! I hope you’ve all had a lovely time so far and continue to have a fantastic time as the day and evening goes by. I’d also like to apologise in advance if I ruin that- after all, it’s often said that the best man’s speech is the worst five minutes of the groom’s life. Speaking of five minutes, I’m also told that the worst five minutes of Malon’s life is coming later on when all the guests have gone home!”

 

Several of the guests began to chuckle as Link processed the joke that had been made at his expense.

 

“Honey,” Malon whispered, “you’re beet red.”

 

“Well, you would be too if your best man just made a crack like _that._ ”

 

“…As part of my job today I get the task of saying a few words about the man of the hour- I can say he’s one of the most handsome, and definitely one of the funniest men I’ve ever met and I’m proud to call him my friend. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make it here today, so I’ll have to settle for second-best. Nah, I’m only messing with you, Link. You’re genuinely a great dude and you deserve all this.”

 

Link managed a smile at this and Darunia gave him a thumbs-up.

 

“I’ve known the groom for around 5 and a half years and the bride for a little less than that, but in that time I’ve grown so fond of them I don’t think I could imagine my life without being their friend. And long may that friendship continue.”

 

Some of the guests gave a polite amount of applause. Darunia waited for silence before he continued.

 

“Now, I may have taken the chance to snark at him with that ‘five minutes’ thing, but things have definitely gotten better for him since he got with Malon five years ago, and I’m all the prouder of him for it. I’m also surprised that he chose Termina as a honeymoon spot. I mean, c’mon, that’s the basic route! You couldn’t go somewhere more… exotic?”

 

Link shot Darunia an annoyed glare.

 

“Alright, that’s the last of the snide comments. So if I could ask all of you to join me in a toast to the happy couple. To Link and Malon, who truly deserve any happiness that comes to them!”

 

Everyone raised their glasses in toast and cheered in collective applause.

 

“Could have done without the potshots at my sexual ability or choice in vacation destinations, but in all seriousness, thanks for all that. I’m genuinely touched.”

 

“No problem, Brother.”

 

The rest of the evening was spent making small talk and generally having a good time with family and friends. When the reception wound to a close, Link retired to his hotel room with Malon. The night was young, and Link & Malon had the rest of it- and their lives- to enjoy their time with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I bet you're getting sick of all these time jumps. Next one's the last one, I promise, and then we'll stay at roughly that point in time.


	48. Ten Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now 28 years old, Zelda navigates her new life and accepts an invitation to a familiar place. Once there, she learns that several people she'd once known have changed entirely.

_~June 27, 4059- Ten years after graduation~_

 

Zelda took a quick sip of her coffee as she typed away at her laptop. Making the finishing touches on her most recent project, she walked up to the window and took a look at the city around her. Only once prior to her current job as CEO and head scientist of Red Lions had she seen the beauty of Hyrule Castle Town from the top floor of the biggest skyscraper in all of Hyrule, and that was over twenty years ago by that point. Her father had taken her to work that day, and had shown her the windowside view when his work had been completed. Zelda would never forget the first time she saw it, and as an added bonus, she now had the rest of her life to enjoy it.

 

Red Lions had hardly changed a bit in the past ten years. Same old area of expertise, same old tech to do the work with (though with minor upgrades, of course), and in some cases, even the same old employees. The only thing different, at least the only difference of note, was who was calling the shots now. Daphnes Nohansen had retired as CEO of the company roughly four years ago, and the final days of his nearly decade-long tenure as mayor followed soon after. While Deputy Mayor Andrew Dotour replaced him in the latter aspect after a very successful election campaign (boosted by his already high ratings from his tenure as deputy mayor under Nohansen), in the former aspect he decided to have his successor be a bit closer to home.

 

By Zelda’s own admission, business was not her strong suit. She was more geared towards the science and technical aspect of Red Lions, and were it not for the fact that she had taken a small number of business courses in college at her father’s urging she would have argued towards being the head scientist of the company and not her current position. However, her master’s in science wouldn’t go to waste with her new occupation, something she joyously discovered when she had first taken the position.

 

That wasn’t to say all her life had gone well, however. Several of her friends had refused to talk to her following the Ganondorf incident, and even now she was on… sour terms with them, to say the least. She never quite got over that, but at her father’s insistence she at least felt better about it. “Why talk to them if they’re going to blame you for something that was never your fault in the slightest?” were his words, and looking back she had to agree with him.

 

Speaking of Ganondorf, her time with him had come back to traumatize her even years after, which ultimately ended with her making the decision to remain proudly single for the rest of her life. Though her father was disappointed he wouldn’t have an in-law after all, he ultimately chose to respect Zelda’s decision as hers to make and not his to interfere or meddle with. That didn’t stop him from making comments about how Link (who frequently visited with Malon even years later) would have made the perfect son-in-law, though, and alongside that he frequently commented on his jealousy towards Talon on that front. Zelda was initially bothered by these comments, but eventually grew to tolerate them. Her father was simply commenting on what could have been, and she had to admit she would have definitely made an exception on being single to be with Link. So it wasn’t like her father was entirely alone in his thoughts.

 

Zelda’s father chose to remain behind at the family estate following his retirement from Red Lions and subsequent departure as mayor. At one point in his life he made as many as twenty public appearances a day. Now, however, people were lucky to catch a glimpse of him once a week. Not that he complained about the lack of attention towards him. After a lifetime of speeches and public announcements, Mr. Nohansen was content to finally get some peace and quiet, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

Passing on the title of Red Lions CEO to his daughter was the easiest decision Mr. Nohansen made in his entire life, and would be sure to tell any hopeful biographers that. Her affinity for science and natural leadership skills made her the obvious choice, and that was even when ignoring their familial connection. Several people noted that the day he announced his successor to be Zelda seemed to be the happiest day of his life- never before had he smiled so genuinely, so full of pride and joy. Those people were right.

 

Daphnes Nohansen was quite happy with the way his life had turned out. Though it was not over yet, he knew that there was a point he needed to step out of the spotlight for the younger generation to grow further. And if that meant seeing his daughter continue and even improve upon his legacy, he was all for it.

 

If there was one thing that he would have preferred to go differently, it would be that he strongly wished that his wife could have been there with him to see what a strong woman their daughter would grow up to become. She had passed away from heart complications when Zelda was ten, and it hadn’t been easy on anyone close to the family. However, Daphnes himself noted that there was no use moping too much about the situation- she was gone and nothing could change that. Zelda took the loss especially hard, but channeled that loss into an interest in saving others, with which Daphnes partially credited her love of science and medicine in particular. In a way, without that loss Zelda might not have been the same. She could have been completely unrecognizable compared to how she was now.

 

…

 

Zelda pulled into the driveway and killed the engine as she hopped out of her car. It was late at night, and she hoped that whatever was going on, her father wasn’t keeping Tetra up too late. Knocking on the door, Zelda’s father answered and welcomed his daughter with open arms. He was quite eager to ask his daughter about work that day and any major breakthroughs she had made, but figured she wasn’t up to that at the moment.

 

“What about Tetra, Dad?” Zelda made it clear that when she asked that question she wanted an answer. “Is she in bed and asleep like you promised me she would be? Or do I have a whole family of liars?” she asked sternly, hands on her hips, but her smile at the end of it gave away the fact that she wasn’t as annoyed as she wanted to seem.

 

“Well,” her father tugged at his shirt collar. “That’s, uh… why don’t you ask your mother?”

 

“Mom’s been gone for years, Dad. Don’t dodge the question.”

 

“Right, right, she has been. I must be going senile or something if I really think otherwise…”

 

Zelda shook her head. “Dad, quit it.”

 

Daphnes sighed in defeat. “Fine, fine, you got me. Tetra is as awake as ever, just crawling around.”

 

Zelda sighed in exasperation and walked indoors. Tetra was indeed crawling on the ground- or at least trying to. “I can’t leave you for half a day before you cause your grandfather trouble, do you?” Zelda asked her daughter playfully.

 

Daphnes tried to apologize. “I tried, Zelda, I really did, but I guess I’m not as good with babies as I used to be.”

 

Looking back on it, Tetra’s conception had been a chore and a half. Though Zelda wasn’t planning on hooking up with anyone anytime soon, she still wanted to have a child. After a year-long debate with herself on whether she wanted to adopt or go to the local sperm bank, she settled on the latter… only for Zelda herself to have trouble getting pregnant. The one successful attempt had tragically resulted in a miscarriage not three months later, resulting in Zelda taking a long period of time off of work. She at one point wound up asking Malon to be an egg donor if her last attempt at artificial insemination failed (for Zelda by this point was getting more and more doubtful of it succeeding), but while Malon agreed in the event such a thing was needed, it never was. Zelda’s last attempt had gone through, and was so happy she threw a party just for the occasion. Tetra was born nine months later, and Zelda couldn’t have been happier. Though her birth name was the same as her mother’s- Zelda Nohansen- it was decided that a nickname was in order. It was Darunia who selected the winning nickname. For a long time, nobody was quite sure where he had gotten it from. However, when rewatching an old pirate movie with Malon, Link realized that the newborn’s nickname matched the name of the pirate leader. When pressed for answers, Darunia caved in and admitted that the old movie was indeed where he had gotten it from. Zelda looked back on that moment with fondness, remembering especially how Link celebrated finally guessing the nickname’s origin.

 

Tetra cooed as Zelda took her into her arms. “You’re supposed to be asleep right now, yes you are.”

 

As Zelda slowly rocked her, Tetra gradually fell asleep. Zelda returned her to her crib and took a good look at her. She would be a handful, alright. But a manageable one.

 

“She’s going to be even more difficult to handle when she’s older,” Daphnes commented, predicting Zelda’s thoughts. “I mean, if she’s only one now, and she’s already so energetic…”

 

“Well, Dad,” Zelda responded, “I guess I’ll handle her the same way you handled me.”

 

“Hyrule Academy called. The reunion’s tonight.”

 

“Wait, it is? I thought it was a week from now.”

 

“Well, it always coincides with homecoming, right?.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Well, homecoming’s tonight. And the school sent you a message to remind you.”

 

“Of course it would be tonight…”

 

“You’re going to attend, right?”

 

“Is that even a question? Of course I am.”

 

Daphnes nodded as Zelda got her coat back on.

 

Oh, before I go,” she called out, “promise me you’ll make sure Tetra _stays_ in bed this time.”

 

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll manage it.”

 

…

 

The former students of Hyrule Academy crowded in the main lobby. Ten years had passed since they’d all been in the same place, and as Zelda observed, some of them were almost completely different from the teens they had once been.

 

Mido had initially barely changed following graduation. He refused to leave his home in Kokiri Circle and start a life for himself, and spent the next three years trying (and failing) to make a career off of online streaming. After a near-death experience from driving under the influence and the subsequent legal issues from both drunk driving and driving without a license, Mido took his survival as a sign from the Goddesses to get his shit together. He would eventually do just that and begin to take courses at a local community college, where after years of wondering what he would do, Mido finally found his calling in media communications. Link barely recognized him the next time they met- no more was the crude, casanova-wannabe teen Link had known. After patching things up with Link, Mido would go on to mend his relationship with Saria- the two had barely spoken after graduation. Mido had finally gotten his life back on track- and he seemed much happier for it.

 

Nobody knew exactly what happened to Tingle. Against all odds he had obtained a high enough grade to graduate, and his father’s influence had gotten him into a decent college in Termina. However, he instead defied his father’s wishes & remained in Castle Town, and following the incident where he publicly defaced the statue of Gustaf Harkinian in the town square, he just… vanished altogether. Nobody could locate him, and Goddesses know people tried. Police launched a futile manhunt for Tingle, and his father seemed overall shaken up. Though rumors existed that he was living in the woods seeking out fairies, they seemed to just be standard run-of-the-mill playground rumors. When the memorial for students who had died post-graduation had been set up, debates started over whether or not to include Tingle- in the end, he was included. It would be awkward if he showed up alive within the next few years, but then again, nothing was ever _not_ awkward with Tingle.

 

Anju and Kafei had gotten married within the first year after their graduation- when asked if they were maybe rushing things, all anyone got as an answer was a firm ‘no’. The two were firmly in love, despite rumors that Kafei had secretly begun an affair with a girl he was tutoring. These rumors were eventually dispelled, however. Roughly two years after their wedding, Anju and Kafei had twin boys who they named Tortus & Andrew after the twins’ grandfathers. Despite people still saying that they were rushing things, however, Anju and Kafei had no plans to end things.

 

Ghirahim, Ganondorf's old friend, was absent from the reunion much like Tingle was. When Zelda asked where he was out of curiosity, she found out that he simply refused to show up for unknown reasons. Zelda had her own theories, but she chose to let the matter drop.

 

Several of the teachers Zelda had known were no longer there. Both of the Funday sisters had passed away within a year of each other, and there was a separate memorial in the main lobby dedicated to them as well. Despite having been universally disliked by the returning graduates during their time at school, there were quite a few of them who attended the memorial.

 

Sharp had retired after Zelda had graduated, and seemed to be much happier for it. He had much more spare time to practice music and spend time with his grandchildren. Likewise, Flat did the same as his brother the year after, for the exact same reasons.

 

Looking around, Zelda concluded that Link & Malon had not arrived yet, and neither had Saria or Darunia. For the time being, she was alone, unless she chose to try and talk to one of her other classmates. But considering the last time one of her ‘friends’ had spoken to her had ended so poorly (much to Zelda’s annoyance, since the Ganondorf incident was ten years in the past and nobody seemed to even remember him anymore), she wasn’t exactly keen on doing that.

 

Choosing to instead wait for her friends, Zelda sat on a bench and relaxed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this chapter was much shorter and cut off when Zelda was preparing to leave for the reunion, but when I decided I wasn't happy with the length I cut off the beginning of next chapter and added it to the end of this one.
> 
> Next chapter: Most of the other main characters ten years after graduation.


	49. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More and more people begin to arrive to the reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end of the line here...

As the high school reunion got underway, students talked to each other, many for the first time in ten years. As Zelda finally decided to get up and search again for anyone she might know, she bumped straight into Nabooru, who looked to be a lot happier than she had been when they last spoke. Though they never quite got along, something Ganondorf’s lechery had made quite sure of, it had been over a decade since then, and even then things were now different. Now they shared a common opinion on what once caused bad blood between them.

 

Zelda began to talk about what she had going for her since their last meeting, about her new job, about how Tetra was doing, and about how grateful she was that she was able to have it even after her near-death experience. Nabooru had to agree there.

 

“So,” Zelda began, “how have things gone for you in the past ten years?”

 

“Me? Well, I can’t necessarily complain about the now, but… It took me a bit to get over Ganondorf, and even when I did, I wasn’t in the best spot. Did some things I wish I didn’t, and overall my first few years out of this place were pretty shitty. But eventually I cleaned up my act and got a decent paying job as a model in downtown Tabantha. It’s not much, but it’s enough to get by for now.”

 

Zelda nodded. Deep down, she expected nothing different- Nabooru always seemed to be the model type- though she was a bit disappointed that Nabooru couldn’t end up with better.  _ That’s the way life goes, I suppose, _ Zelda bit her lip trying to keep herself from saying that out loud.

 

“Yeah,” Nabooru understood the look on Zelda’s face anyways, causing Zelda a brief moment of surprise. “It isn’t exactly the best life, but it could be way worse. Of the many ways I could have ended up, this seems to be the best outcome.”

 

Zelda and Nabooru stood around awkwardly, fumbling for a loose end to continue the conversation on for what seemed to be a minute before Nabooru waved goodbye and went off to find anybody else she knew. Following her lead, Zelda searched through the crowd and found someone she didn’t expect to see.

 

“Oh, Impa! I didn’t think you’d be here.”

 

“Hmm?” Impa turned around and met Zelda’s gaze. “Well, as former deputy headmistress I was one of the first to get an invitation. And I’m never one to turn down reunions, especially not if I get to see so many former students. Speaking of which, how are you this fine evening?”

 

“I’m doing well. I trust you are as well.”

 

“Indeed I am. I’ve mostly been lost in thought tonight. Been thinking about the time I spent here, more specifically. It’s been, say, three years since I retired, and yet this place still feels almost like a second home to me.”

 

“I guess spending a lot of time here does that to a person. I’ve been absent from here longer, yet I can’t say I don’t understand your sentiments.”

 

“How’s Tetra doing?”

 

“Hmm? She’s doing well enough. My father’s taking care of her now, and aside from her adamant refusal to sleep she probably shouldn’t be causing him too much trouble.”

 

“Well, Daphnes was always a good caretaker. I remember telling him that he would be an amazing father one day, and looking at how you ended up coming out I have got to say that I was right.”

 

“Thanks, Impa.”

 

“I should be going. I’m expected in the gymnasium soon, and I don’t like to be late.”

 

“See you later.”

 

As Impa left, Zelda decided to follow. Everyone was going to meet up in the gymnasium soon anyways, and there was no reason not to get a head start.

 

Of everyone Zelda met that day, Ruto was an unexpected arrival to the reunion, to say the least. For the girl who was once “too cool for school,” she was the last person anyone predicted to show up. Why she would willingly return after all that was a mystery, that much was certain.

 

She had practically vanished from the public eye following a marriage of hers that had fallen through. Left with naught but a young girl named Rutela to show for three years of her life post-high school, Ruto was in a bad place for a while- not anywhere near as bad a place as Nabooru was in, as she was financially stable and had her father’s support, but still bad nonetheless. Ruto was halfway through giving up when she turned to an unlikely source of inspiration- her former crush Link.

 

_ He managed just fine, _ Ruto had told herself.  _ If he could get through his own issues, then why can’t you? What’s the holdup? _

 

With that revelation, she swore to herself that she would try even harder. She would raise Rutela to the best of her ability, devoting whatever spare time she had for her daughter (and admittedly doing quite well), and had recently begun to take nursing courses at her father’s suggestion. The Zora race had long been talented as healers and nurses, and though she initially had no interest in it whatsoever, Ruto found she had a natural talent for it.

 

When she appeared, several of her old friends greeted her with open arms. Several comments were made on Ruto’s dress and how good she looked, and Ruto recalled how there was a time she couldn’t live without that praise. But in hindsight, she didn’t look back on those times fondly.

 

But that night wasn’t the night to reflect on the bad times she’d had during her life. It was the night to reflect on the good ones, to catch up with old friends. And  she was damned and determined to stick to that.

 

…

 

Saria sat on the bench outside of the school’s main entrance. Her friends were definitely coming, but were running late. For now, she was waiting for one of them to show up. Zelda was probably already inside, but Saria didn’t exactly want to navigate the crowded halls of Hyrule Academy in order to find her- at least, not at that moment.

 

_ Well, I can’t exactly speak for Link & Malon, but Darunia should have wrapped up his shift at Four Giants by now… _ Saria began to grow impatient.

 

Following his graduation, Darunia decided that he didn’t want to pursue a career in wrestling like he’d told himself for so many years. It wasn’t easy to decide on an alternative, but eventually he found his calling as a chef. Though his large hands (and large body in general) initially made him a liability in the kitchen, he eventually managed to work up to a point where he could skillfully maneuver through the workspace without hassle.

 

Darunia’s culinary interests brought him to several different popular restaurants in Hyrule, but after a couple years of wandering settled on Four Giants, where he worked as the head chef ever since. Rock roast with special Terminian seasoning was his specialty, and he was so good at making it some people would travel from another town just to try some, to the point that the restaurant had to start serving fairy tonic to avoid any broken teeth. Much to the Goron’s dismay, however, out of his friend group only Link was willing to try it. He couldn’t exactly be surprised, however- whether it was seasoned or not, it was still a hunk of rock and naturally many non-Gorons would not be inclined to try it.

 

“I’m here, I’m here!” a voice shouted to nobody in particular. Saria recognized the speaker immediately, though, and saw Darunia rolling towards her at full speed. How he was able to talk during all that was beyond her, but she wasn’t about to start asking questions.

 

As Darunia slowed to a grinding halt (accompanied by a sound Saria could only compare to nails on a chalkboard), he waved to Saria and caught his breath, having evidently been rolling for a while.

 

“Sorry I’m late, Saria. I tried to get here the instant I got out, I really did, but…”

 

“It’s fine. Nobody else from our group is here, not that I can see. You didn’t have to rush that much.”

 

“Oh, well. What have you been up to lately, Saria?”

 

“Well, I recently got a promotion at the lab I work at, so that was a nice thing to happen.”

Darunia grinned. “The lab that specializes in finding uses for various types of magic, right? The one downtown?”

“Yeah,” Saria nodded. “That one.”

“Well, that’s nice to hear. Congrats!”

Much like Link, Saria focused her studies around the field of science. She graduated college with a degree in Magic Applications and eventually got a job working as a scientist. She was overjoyed to find work, though sometimes she was patronized due to her small stature. She and Link often spent time talking about their day at work, and Saria found it was a nice thing to be able to relate to someone on.

“Should we head in now?”

“Y’mean, into the school? Yeah, I figure we just go in now and wait for Link & Malon indoors. At least there we’re not freezing our asses off.”

“And there’s food there, too.”

“Of course you’d be thinking of food.”

“Sorry. Can’t help it.”

“No, you’re right. Let’s go.”

Saria and Darunia walked through the main lobby and spent what seemed to be ages (though it was only a few minutes) looking for a clear path to the gym. Darunia finally located one, and the two met up with Zelda there.

“Where are Link & Malon?” was the first thing Zelda asked after greeting them.

“They’re not with you?”

“No. I thought they’d be coming with you.”

“Well,” Darunia shrugged, “I get being fashionably late, but this is kinda ridiculous.”

“Maybe they’re having trouble finding a sitter.”

“Can’t be. Talon’s there to look after the kid.”

“True…"

 

Just then, Zelda’s phone buzzed. She looked at it and saw a text from Link.

_ Sorry we’re running late! Had to take care of some extra stuff on the ranch. Will be there in a few! _

…

Slowly walking through the academy’s main lobby, Rauru took a deep breath as he looked around him. The various young adults he once oversaw as headmaster of Hyrule Academy were conversing and overall having a good time. Just then, a thought struck him. He was getting rather old- at this point he had just turned 80- and he didn’t have much time left- maybe a decade, if he was lucky. This night could very well be the last time he ever returned to the academy for any reason.

_ In that case, I might as well make it a good night, _ Rauru thought and chuckled.

Ever since retiring last year, Rauru’s life had been little more than a daily routine of waking up, taking care of himself, and then going back to sleep- well, discounting the occasional visits from his grandchildren- though he supposed a year wasn’t long enough to justify major deviations in such a simple schedule. He considered himself lucky to have been able to leave when he wanted in the way he wanted, as Superintendent Dragmire had lost all her influence on him ten years prior. Still, he wished the way that happened had gone differently- he would have gladly risked his job if it meant no students were placed in harm’s way under his watch.

Rauru reached the gym, where the largest concentration of former students were located. Zelda and Darunia were conversing nearby, while Saria seemed to be… waiting. For what, Rauru wasn’t 100% sure, but he had a hunch.

And when Link & Malon entered the gymnasium right behind Rauru, his hunch was confirmed. He was glad to see Link in particular had kept in touch with his friends over the past ten years- he certainly deserved their company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Well, you'll just have to wait and see.


	50. The Man With the Best Family in Hyrule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link Forrester just can't seem to believe how well things have turned out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and exactly six months later, this story is concluded. I've had several ideas going through my head since the first chapter, and I'm glad to see how this one has turned out. Maybe I'll return to this story and write a second part someday, maybe not.

As the rising sun shone on Hyrule, the cuccos began to crow. Talon began to get out of bed, muttering “Yeah, yeah, I know,” under his breath and mentally preparing himself for another day of work, but as he realized almost immediately after, there was no point. He hadn’t needed to get up at five in the morning for a couple of years now.

 

 _Third time this week I’ve done that,_ Talon noted. _You’d think after a couple of years I would have learned to stop._

 

Oh, well. Since he was up now, he figured he’d might as well make breakfast. He stumbled down the stairs and began to crack some eggs. As they finished cooking and Talon prepared to plate them, the phone began to ring. Talon put the plate down on the counter and picked up.

 

“Hmm?” Talon leaned closer, as his hearing had only gotten worse over the years. “Oh hey, Ingo. How have things been for ye?”

 

“Been doin’ pretty well myself,” Ingo replied. “At least, I can’t really complain about how things have been. What about you?”

 

“Likewise. How’s the home been treatin’ ye?”

 

Much like Talon, Ingo had retired a couple years back. Despite Talon insisting he could stay in his cabin on the ranch for as long as he needed to, Ingo turned him down in favor of staying at a retirement home. His explanation was that he wasn’t too sure Talon’s daughter and son-in-law wanted him around, and figured he was better off elsewhere anyways.

 

“I’ve got some good memories there, but also some pretty bad ones. Besides, I’m too old to work on the ranch, and if I’m not doin’ much to contribute then I might as well not bother to stay.”

 

“Well, if you really think that, then I ain’t gonna force you,” Talon had told him. “May the Goddesses smile upon you.”

 

Ingo frequently called, though, and common topics of discussion included the various happenings at the retirement home. Ingo’s life had been mundane and quiet for ages, but he just about 100% prefered that to the alcohol-induced madness he drove himself to while working at the ranch.

 

Meanwhile, Talon had handed over ownership of the ranch to his daughter, who had since taken over every one of Talon’s duties. Grog had long since left the ranch to carve his own path in life, though Mamamu Yan remained to help around whenever she was needed. Malon handled her new job unsurprisingly well- after all, she’d had a lifetime to learn the ropes. And Talon certainly was proud of her-

 

“Dad? Hey, Dad?”

 

Talon nearly fell out of his seat. “Hmm? Hold on one sec Ingo, Mal’s callin’ me.”

 

Talon put the phone down. Malon burst through the kitchen door, covered in dirt.

 

“Horses giving you trouble?”

 

“Well, you could say that.”

 

“Tough work, ain’t it?”

 

“Yeah, but it’s fine. Although…”

 

“What is it, sweetie?”

 

“Well, the high school reunion’s tonight.”

 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, you an’ Link are going there, right?”

 

“Yes, and although I suppose this goes without saying, you’ll need to watch Twi while we’re gone.”

 

“Don’t worry, I got things under control.”

 

“Are you sure? He can be a handful.”

 

“Y’know, as the kid’s grandfather, I oughta know better than everyone other than you and Link.”

 

Malon chuckled. “I suppose that’s true.”

 

Twi, as his parents called him, had recently turned one year old. His full name was Link Forrester Jr., but it was at Malon’s suggestion he be given a nickname, and she and Link settled on ‘Twilight’ after an hour of debating. He looked very similar to his father, with Link’s blond hair (though no doubt Malon’s scarlet hair made it the more dirty blond that it was) and deep blue eyes (which was the main reason he was nicknamed Twilight). It was this that resulted in his parents naming him after his father, or more specifically what caused Malon to not argue back when Link suggested naming their newborn after himself.

 

Talon sat down and began to eat the meal he prepared. Malon passed through the kitchen and eventually found Link cradling their son, making unintelligible noises.

 

“Well now, what’re you two boys doing?”

 

Link looked up, startled. “Just playing around with Twi.”

 

“Okay, Fairy Boy.”

 

“That’s _Doctor_ Fairy Boy to you,” Link jokingly responded. He could barely keep a straight face as he spoke, and within the next few seconds he and Malon broke down into giggles.

 

“We are doofuses, Fairy Boy.”

 

Link nodded in agreement with his wife’s assessment. “We are indeed. We are indeed.”

 

A year before the birth of his son, Link had finished his studies and gotten an internship at the biggest animal clinic in Hyrule Castle Town to boot. Within that year, he worked his way up to being a full-time veterinarian there. Within the next few years he was planning on maybe opening his own clinic, but wasn’t quite sure how he’d manage employees in addition to his current job. His veterinary tasks alone were stressful, and he wasn’t looking to give himself an aneurysm.

 

“You’ve gotta head out soon,” Malon warned.

 

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Link nodded as he handed Twi over to Malon.

 

“Oh, and don’t forget about the reunion!”

 

“…That’s tonight?!”

 

“…You already forgot.”

 

“Mal, it’s early in the morning, cut me some slack.”

 

“I’ll cut you some slack when you finally cut your hair.”

 

“Hey!” Link ran a hand through his hair, which was now nearly shoulder length. “I like it this way. And judging from the dozens of times that you’ve braided it, you like it, too.”

 

Malon blushed and took a step back. “You’ve got me there.”

 

Link grinned. “You can’t hide something like that from me.”

 

“No, I suppose I can’t.”

 

As the day went on, Malon continued her work outside. She had hired several ranch hands after Ingo & Grog left, all of whom were currently working in the fields or tending to the animals. Without their help, Malon figured the ranch wouldn’t last a month. She sometimes wondered how the ranch survived with as few people as it had before. It was a question she thought about even as Link returned home from work and the couple drove to Hyrule Academy.

 

…

 

The school was positively crowded with people at just about all angles. It wasn’t easy finding a path into the school gymnasium, but Link spotted one from the cafeteria exit. Walking behind a man he and Malon concluded to be Rauru, they reached the gymnasium shortly after. There, they met some familiar faces.

 

“Hey there, Link! It’s great to see you!” Saria cried out upon spotting the couple. “Goddesses, it’s been ages since I last saw you two- must have been, what, a month or so? We just don’t get to talk like we used to. How have you been?”

 

Link grinned. “It’s been going well lately. I can’t complain about how things have been.”

 

“Wow,” Saria looked closer at Link’s right eye. “I can’t even see the scar anymore!”

 

“Yeah,” Link nodded, “but sometimes the fake eye craps out on me and then I’m stuck seeing from one eye for a solid hour. If it weren’t crazy expensive I’d get the upgrade Red Lions put out last month.”

 

“Well, maybe Zelda can hook you up with one! Y’know, special privileges as friends?”

 

“Saria, I don’t know-”

 

“Well now,” Zelda stopped him, “I never said I couldn’t do that. If you really want one, I could try and sneak one out for you.”

 

For a solid hour, music played and the gymnasium got more and more crowded until Link finally decided he needed to take a step outside and take a quick breath. Some fresh air was just what he needed.

 

However, something felt… off. He didn’t know exactly how, it just did. Link couldn’t help but feel like something bad was about to-

 

“Whoa, Forrester, is that you? I almost didn’t recognize you.”

 

Link recognized the voice immediately and leapt back. Turning around, he saw none other than a six foot tall Gerudo male staring right at him.

 

“Ganondorf,” Link began to breathe heavily. “What… what… what are you doing here? Back off now, or I swear I’ll kick your lousy ass six ways to-”

 

“Yeah, I should have figured you wouldn’t exactly be welcoming. Then again, I probably deserve that.”

 

“Speaking of what you deserve,” Link began to seethe, “you got sentenced to _twelve_ years in prison. I remember you being sentenced, so don’t bullshit me there, Dragmire. Mind telling me what you’re doing out on the streets after only ten?”

 

“Parole. Got out on good behavior three months ago, and well, here I am.”

 

Link sighed angrily. “What do you want with me? Come to finish me off ten years later?”

 

“No,” Ganondorf shook his head. “Actually, I came to apologize for that. And the fairy, and any pain that incident may have caused.”

 

Link cackled like he’d just been told the funniest joke he’d ever heard in his life. “What, you think you can bully me for years, try to kill me, lead to my best friend’s death, and suddenly apologize like that’ll make things all good between us? Because if so, you’re dumber than I thought, or that prison rotted what brain cells you had left.”

 

“No,” Ganondorf shook his head. “I’m not so stupid as to think that. But I figure you may as well know I’m sorry. I don’t think you’ll forgive me, and part of me doesn’t want you to, but I at least want you to know that I’m trying to make things right with the world. And for somewhat obvious reasons, I’d rather not tell Zelda this in person, so if you could pass the message along to her-”

 

“The only message about you she’s getting is being told to get a damn restraining order,” Link fired back.

 

“That’s fair, and I’m surprised she hasn’t already. I’m risking my neck just by being here, so-”

 

“So get out of here and let me return to my family.”

 

“Family? Married or something?”

 

“What, didn’t notice the ring?”

 

“No, not yet. Redhead?”

 

“Yeah, it’s Malon.”

 

Ganondorf smiled genuinely for what seemed to be the first time Link had ever seen him smile that way. “Congrats. I really mean it.”

 

“Look, cut the shit. I know you want to act like the past never happened, that you just want to move on, but I’m still not over it. You’ve done some awful things to me in the past, things I’m not sure I can ever forgive you for. And that’s ignoring the stuff you’ve done to Zelda, and Navi…”

 

Ganondorf remained silent.

 

“…I can see you’re trying hard to atone, but I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to see you again. That being said, I can appreciate the fact that you’re trying at all. But instead of doing it to get me to forgive you- because I think I’ll die before that happens- do so to forgive yourself.”

 

Ganondorf nodded to himself. “You’re right… Link. You really are. Thanks for that. And don’t worry, I’ll bother you no more.”

 

Ganondorf turned and slowly walked away from the school. As he vanished into the horizon, Link opened the door to the gym and returned to Malon and his friends.

 

“That was a long time,” Malon commented. “What happened?”

 

“Just saw somebody I haven’t seen in a while.”

 

“Mind if I ask who?”

 

Link thought about his answer for a minute. “Yeah, actually, I think I’ll keep this interaction of mine to myself.”

 

Zelda nodded. “That’s fair.”

 

The rest of the reunion went by without a hitch. As the group left, Saria stopped to take photos of the group. As the last of the photos was taken and Link returned to his car with Malon in his arms, he took a good look at the woman he married.

 

“What is it, Fairy Boy?” Malon sensed that Link wanted to tell her something.

 

“Y'know,” Link answered Malon, “To say I’ve got the best life right now, with an amazing wife and kid to wake up to every day, is a complete understatement.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One final thanks to anyone who took the time to read this story all the way to the end. I won't lie, there have been several points throughout the story where I lost motivation and considered scrapping the idea or rewriting it considerably. But time and time again, I've been convinced to continue on and follow it through to the finish line, and I'm grateful for it. Really, I am.
> 
> As for what I have planned next (if anything at all), if I have ideas for a sequel for this story, then I'll think about making one. But frankly, this story's concluded in a way that I wouldn't be upset if I never followed up on it. I honestly didn't think it'd get this far.


End file.
